Photopharmica Appoints Two Non-Executive Directors

Photopharmica Limited (“Photopharmica” or “the Company”), a University of Leeds spin-out company which is developing pharmaceutical products using photodynamic therapy (PDT), is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Sam Williams and Dr Ian Wilding as Non-Executive Directors with immediate effect.

Dr Williams is Chief Executive Officer of the drug development company, Modern Biosciences plc (“MBS”). He joined MBS in April from Lehman Brothers where he was Industry Group Leader for European Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals. Sam was ranked the number one European Biotechnology equity analyst by Institutional Investor magazine in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and by Thomson Extel in 2004 and 2005. Sam has over ten years' experience in the financial services industry as well as expert life sciences knowledge, particularly in molecular biology.

Dr Wilding, who is MBS' Chief Scientific Officer, was one of the founders of Pharmaceutical Profiles, a successful spin-out company from Nottingham University. Prior to an MBO in January 2005, Ian had served as the Chief Executive and Chairman of Pharmaceutical Profiles, specialising in early phase clinical trials for over 15 years.

Dr Wilding has published over 250 research papers/abstracts in the area of drug absorption/delivery and in 2005 received the CRS "Career Achievement Award in Oral Drug Delivery". In 1997 he served as an expert scientist for the FDA and is recognised globally as an innovator in early drug development.

For further information, please contact:

Photopharmica
0113 384 5634
John Lyon, CEO

Notes for editors

About Photopharmica
Photopharmica was established in 2001 to develop novel approaches to photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT involves the use of a light source of a specific wavelength to activate a photosensitive drug which can kill diseased tissues or infectious organisms. A spin-out from the University of Leeds, Photopharmica's technology is based on the world-leading research in PDT of Professor Stanley B Brown, Chief Scientific Officer of Photopharmica and Director, Centre for Photobiology and Photodynamic Therapy at the University of Leeds . Photopharmica's lead products have been developed for the treatment of microbial disease in wounds and sites of open surgery and are based on novel photosensitising drugs that have several key properties:

• broad spectrum killing – Photopharmica's light-activated drugs kill many of the most common disease-causing microorganisms including Gram positive bacteria (eg. Staphylococcus aureus), Gram negative bacteria (eg. Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Esherischia coli), fungal organisms (eg Candida albicans) and Leishmania parasitic organisms;
• killing of antibiotic resistant bacteria - Photopharmica's drugs have been shown to kill antibiotic resistant bacteria (or ‘superbugs') such as methicillin resistant Staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA);
• low susceptibility to resistance – infectious microorganism are less likely to become resistant to Photopharmica's drugs than conventional antibiotics, due to the mechanism of action of PDT;
• high selectivity – Photopharmica's drugs are selectively taken up by microorganisms and hence demonstrate high levels of bacterial killing but cause limited damage to host tissues;
• good tolerability – patients treated with Photopharmica's drugs do not suffer from the residual light sensitivity and pain experienced with existing PDT therapies;
• ease of manufacture – Photopharmica's drugs are easily synthesised, purified and can be manufactured at a commercially viable scale and cost.

Photopharmica's lead product, PPA 904, is in phase II trials for the treatment of microbial disease within wounds. In July 2007 the company announced successful Phase IIa results which demonstrated that PPA 904 could bring about a statistically significant reduction in bacterial load of chronic leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers compared to placebo. In addition, there was evidence of a treatment effect on wound healing. Photopharmica's second product, PPA 905, is in Phase II for the eradication of nasal colonies of potentially dangerous microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus in hospital settings.

To date, Photopharmica has received funding from IP Group plc and White Rose Technology Seedcorn Fund. Yorkshire Cancer Research also has a minority stake in Photopharmica, having supported much of the PDT research at the University of Leeds which led to the spin-out of Photopharmica.

For more information, please visit our website at www.photopharmica.com

10 August 2007