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For immediate release

6 July 2009

MINSTER PHARMACEUTICALS PLC

('Minster' or 'the Company')

Publication of clinical data on tonabersat in migraine with aura

Minster Pharmaceuticals plc (AIM: MPM), the drug development company specialising in neurological and psychiatric disorders, is pleased to announce the publication in The Lancet Neurology, a peer-reviewed journal, of positive results from a Phase II trial of tonabersat in the prevention of migraine with aura.

A summary of the article, and access to its full text, is available online at http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422%2809%2970135-8/fulltext. The article's authors believe that tonabersat has a preventive effect in migraine with aura and that a further study should be conducted owing to the importance of the trial's findings. The authors conclude that the findings support the theory that auras are caused by cortical spreading depression (CSD) and that CSD is not implicated in migraine attacks without aura. 

In the same issue of The Lancet Neurology, Professor David Dodick, from the Mayo Clinic Arizona, has written a commentary on tonabersat. He believes that an aura treatment 'that could potentially prevent not only the immediate disability associated with individual attacks but possibly the long-term sequelae of repeated attacks would clearly be an important therapeutic advance'.

The headline results of the migraine with aura trial, which were both clinically and statistically highly significant, were announced on 22 October 2008 and showed a 68% reduction (p=0.01) in the median number of aura attacks in patients receiving tonabersat compared with placebo.

The principal investigator in the trial was Professor Jes Olesen, the Director of the Danish Headache Centre and one of the world's leading authorities on headache. A total of 31 patients completed the trial, which had a crossover design and was conducted at the Danish Headache Centre at Copenhagen's Glostrup University Hospital.  

Migraine with aura is a type of migraine in which the headache is preceded by symptoms such as visual disturbances and abnormalities of speech and hearing. These aura symptoms are generally recognised as being difficult to treat with existing medications.

John Russell, Minster Pharmaceuticals' Chairman, said: 'We are delighted to see the publication in a leading, peer-reviewed journal of the detailed results of this study of tonabersat in migraine with aura. We would like to express our thanks to Professor Olesen and his team for their work in advancing the understanding of tonabersat and identifying its potential in the treatment of aura.'

For further information:

Minster Pharmaceuticals plc	Tel: +44 (0) 1799 506623
John Russell, Chairman and Interim CEO
Karl Keegan, Chief Financial Officer	Tel: +44 (0) 20 7936 9921
Buchanan Communications	Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000
Mark Court / Rebecca Skye Dietrich / Catherine Breen
Nomura Code Securities Limited	Tel: +44 (0) 20 7776 1200
Chris Collins / Richard Potts

  

Notes for editors:

About Minster Pharmaceuticals plc

Minster Pharmaceuticals is a drug development company focussed on neurological and psychiatric disorders. Its principal pipeline assets are tonabersat and sabcomeline. Worldwide rights to both compounds were acquired from GlaxoSmithKline and the compounds benefit from comprehensive safety tolerance data as a result of investment by GSK.

Tonabersat is the leading compound in an exciting new class of selective drugs designated as neuronal gap junction blockers. Sabcomeline, a muscarinic partial agonist, has potential in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia and the strategy for its further clinical development is currently under consideration.

Minster joined the AIM market in February 2005 and trades under the symbol MPM. For further information please visit www.minsterpharma.com. 

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