Summit Therapeutics Granted Key Patent by European Patent Office for Utrophin Modulator SMT C1100 in the Treatment of DMD

Summit Therapeutics plc
('Summit' or the 'Company')

SUMMIT THERAPEUTICS GRANTED KEY PATENT BY EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE FOR UTROPHIN MODULATOR SMT C1100 IN THE TREATMENT OF DMD

• Patent emerges from opposition period with no opposition filed with EPO

Oxford, UK, 7 July 2015 - Summit Therapeutics plc (AIM: SUMM, NASDAQ: SMMT), the drug discovery and development company advancing therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy ('DMD') and C. difficile infection, announces that the European Patent Office ('EPO') has granted a composition of matter patent for the small molecule utrophin modulator SMT C1100 and that the period of opposition for this patent has now expired with no opposition having been filed.  The patent protects SMT C1100 and its use in the treatment of the fatal muscle wasting disease DMD. 

"This is a cornerstone patent for SMT C1100, and its grant and emergence from the opposition period in a major commercial market, represents a crucial part in our strategy for advancing this promising utrophin modulator therapy for DMD," commented Glyn Edwards, Chief Executive Officer of Summit.  "The grant of this European patent, combined with its grant in other major territories including the United States and Japan, ensures strong intellectual property protection for this investigational drug that has the potential to improve the lives of all patients affected by DMD."

The patent (European patent number 1986633) is entitled "Treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy" and will provide a period of exclusivity for SMT C1100 through until 2027, with the possibility of a longer effective term subject to obtaining a Supplementary Protection Certificate on marketing approval.  The patent has also been validated in all available contracting states to the European Patent Convention, and so is now in force in all major European states including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

SMT C1100 is the Company's most advanced utrophin modulator and forms part of the Company's wider pipeline of utrophin based therapies that are in development.  SMT C1100 is currently in a Phase 1b clinical trial in patients with DMD with top line results expected to be reported during Q3 2015.

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About DMD and Utrophin Modulation
DMD is a progressive muscle wasting disease that affects around 50,000 boys in the developed world. The disease is caused by different genetic faults in the gene that encodes dystrophin, a protein that is essential for the healthy function of all muscles. There is currently no cure for DMD and life expectancy is into the late twenties. Utrophin protein is functionally and structurally similar to dystrophin. In preclinical studies, the continued expression of utrophin has meaningful, positive effect on muscle performance. Utrophin modulation has the potential to slow down or even stop the progression of DMD, regardless of the underlying dystrophin mutation. It is also expected that utrophin modulation could potentially be complementary to other therapeutic approaches for DMD.

About Summit Therapeutics
Summit is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel medicines for indications for which there are no existing or only inadequate therapies. Summit is conducting clinical programs focused on the genetic disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy and the infectious disease C. difficile infection.  Further information is available at www.summitplc.com and Summit can be followed on Twitter (@summitplc).

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