AMP Amphion Innovations Plc

Amphion Innovations PLC
21 May 2007


                  APPLIED GENOMICS PAVES THE WAY FOR IMPROVED
                PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT OF DISEASE

                       Amphion Innovations plc Symposium

         Highlights "Building Market Value From The World Of Genetics"



New York, May 21, 2007-Leading authorities from the world of genetics
highlighted important new research, products and trends at Amphion Innovations
plc "Building Market Value From The World Of Genetics" symposium in New York
City on May 15th.  Amphion Innovations plc (LSE: AMP), a builder of companies in
life sciences and technology, brought together world-class expertise from its
Partner Companies to shed light on new developments that will help cure disease
while building value for shareholders.


The event, first in an annual series of Amphion symposiums, drew more than 100
scientists, business leaders and investors interested in learning how applied
genomics are paving the way for discoveries, in clinical medicine,
pharmaceuticals and nutrition, which were not possible a decade ago.


"We live during a breakthrough period in the understanding of genetics," said
Richard C.E. Morgan, Amphion's chief executive officer.  "The marketplace is
eager to see exciting new discoveries translated into commercial diagnostics,
treatments, and products that help people to live longer, more productive lives.
Amphion's Partner Companies, supported by our company building expertise, are
able to leverage these discoveries to improve the prevention, detection, and
treatment of diseases ranging from diabetes and obesity to chronic inflammation
and deadly infections."



Morgan introduced a panel of Amphion Partner Company speakers who demonstrated
how their companies have applied genomics to improve and save lives while
creating value for shareholders:



  * Dr. David Denning, CEO, Myconostica, Ltd.  Dr. Denning is one of the
    world's leading experts on fungal infections.  He currently leads an
    international consortium sequencing the aspergillus fumigatus genome and is
    also a clinician at Wytheshawe Hospital in Manchester, UK.



  * Mr. Zaki Hosny, CEO, Motif BioSciences, Inc.  Mr. Hosny has more than 35
    years in the global pharmaceutical industry working for Merck & Co. He has
    held senior management positions in the United States and several European
    countries in general management, marketing and government relations.



  * Dr. Kathleen Mullinix, CEO WellGen, Inc.  Dr. Mullinix has served as the
    Vice Provost of Columbia University and has held two leadership positions at
    the National Institute of Health. Prior to joining WellGen, she founded
    Synaptic Pharmaceutical Corp.



Dr. Denning made the following points:



  * Sequencing fungi provides insight into the basic biology of organisms as 
    well as wider aspects of biology, and it has commercial value by
    enabling production of useful compounds, such as citric acid.  Further, it 
    helps to identify new genes for drug targets as well as enabling rapid 
    disease detection.



  * Rapid detection of infectious diseases is often the difference
    between life and death.  With the rapid detection of infections provided by
    Myconostica's products, mortality rates can be reduced by as much as 25%.



  * By extracting DNA and putting it into contact with a proprietary
    molecular probe, Myconostica's test will be able to detect deadly infections 
    in fewer than four hours.  The total market for the company's tests for 
    lethal respiratory infections and candida could exceed $2 billion per year.



Mr. Hosny made the following points:



  * Pharmaceutical companies are facing a huge challenge as more than
    half of the top 100 selling drugs will soon come off patent.



  * Population genetics is being used to effectively isolate certain
    mutations that put people at risk for heart disease, type-2 diabetes and 
    autism. The stakes for genetically validated drug targeting are extremely 
    high as it costs more than $1 billion to bring a new drug to market.



  * By collecting and analyzing data from the homogenous populations of
    the Arabian Gulf region, Motif BioSciences is able to quickly identify 
    patterns in mutation that, barring an impossibly high sample size, would not 
    be visible by studying more diverse populations.



Dr. Mullinix made the following points:



  * There is astronomical growth in the functional foods market.  It is an $80
    billion industry and growing as brands like Hershey, Nestle and Minute Made
    are all marketing hugely successful functional food products that promote
    health and wellness.



  * Nutrigenomics, a science examining how certain food compounds affect gene
    expression, is the next frontier in functional foods because it can help
    answer the food industry's calls for increased innovation.



  * With proprietary food ingredients and a platform for screening natural
    food byproducts for their effect on gene expression, WellGen is unique in
    its ability to help companies bring innovative products to market faster.



For more information on the subject matter that was discussed at the symposium,
or if you would like more information on Amphion Innovations and its Partner
Companies, please contact Josh Berkman or Nicole Allen at 646-747-7158 or
646-747-7161, respectively. Email: jberkman@kwitco.com/nallen@kwitco.com.


About Amphion Innovations plc

Amphion Innovations plc is listed on the AIM Exchange in London under the symbol
AMP. Amphion's business is the formation, financing, management and development
of life sciences and technology companies, primarily in the US and UK, working
in partnership with corporations, governments, universities and entrepreneurs
seeking to commercialize their intellectual property. Amphion's management team
has built more than 30 companies in 20 years, all of which have achieved value
in excess of $120 million.



On the web: www.amphionplc.com


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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