ValiRx plc

("ValiRx" or the "Company")

Directorate Change

ValiRx plc (the "Company") (AIM: VAL), a life sciences company focusing on early-stage cancer therapeutics and women's health, is pleased to announce that further to the announcement on 25 July 2024, Dr Mark Eccleston has been appointed to the Board as Chief Executive Officer. In addition, the Company announces that Dr Suzanne Dilly will step down from the Board with effect from the 15 August 2024.

We would like to thank Suzy for her service over the last 4 years joining the board at a very critical time. Stepping up to the position of CEO after serving as Chief Scientific Officer, she successfully refocussed the strategy of the Company from clinical to preclinical staged assets, sourced and acquired additional research projects, built a new scientific laboratory and team and presided over successive fundraises in order to stabilise and grow the Company.

Mark Eccleston

Mark has worked as a scientific consultant and served on both the Commercial and Scientific Advisory Boards of ValiRx and Inaphaea gaining comprehensive knowledge of the Company's development programmes.

With over 30 years' experience working in translation science in both drug and biomarker development, Mark is a former BBSRC Enterprise fellow and holds an MBA (Entrepreneurship). He is an inventor of 26 published patents ranging from peptide and CAR-T cell therapies to nucleosome enrichment as well as biodegradable chewing gum.

Mark is the Managing Director of OncoLytika Ltd, a UK based technology consultancy company with a successful track record of securing grant funding (close to €3 million in Eurostar funding), strategic business development and client project management. He is also a scientific founder of several companies, including Volition, US listed biomarker company established as a spin out from ValiRx which reached a peak valuation of over $250 million. Mark currently serves as an independent scientific advisor supporting Nu.Q®️ Discover services and sits on Volition's Scientific Advisory Board as well as being a shareholder.

In addition to his commercial activities, Mark has supervised multiple industry funded PhD and Masters students at various universities, including the Open University, Greenwich University and DKFZ in Germany. He also serves as an external advisor to the Open University, contributing to modules focused on employability of biosciences graduates and employer expectations from graduates in terms of bioinformatics training.

Pursuant to Rule 17 and Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies, the following information is disclosed in respect of Mark Edward Eccleston (aged 53):

Mark Eccleston has a deemed beneficial interest in 1,976,957 ordinary shares ("Total Shareholding") representing approximately 1.49 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital and 50,000 options over new ordinary shares in the Company. Of the Total Shareholding 1,000,000 ordinary shares are held by Mark Eccleston's partner.

There is no further information regarding Dr Mark Eccleston required to be disclosed under the AIM Rules.

Martin Gouldstone, Chairman of ValiRx commented "I am looking forward to working with Mark in his new capacity as CEO of ValiRx to help with the strategy and in driving the success of the business from the existing foundations."

Mark Eccleston, CEO of ValiRx commented "I am excited to be appointed as Group Chief Executive Officer of ValiRx Plc. As a long standing shareholder, I look forward to leading our team towards our shared objective of creating long term-term shareholder value."

The Directors of the Company take responsibility for this announcement.

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Notes for Editors

About ValiRx

ValiRx is a life science company focused on early-stage cancer therapeutics and women's health, accelerating the translation of innovative science into impactful medicines to improve patient lives.

ValiRx provides the scientific, financial, and commercial framework for enabling rapid translation of innovative science into clinical development.

Using its extensive and proven experience in research and drug development, the team at ValiRx selects and incubates promising novel drug candidates and guides them through an optimised process of development, from pre-clinical studies to clinic and investor-ready assets.

ValiRx connects diverse disciplines across scientific, technical, and commercial domains, with the aim of achieving a more streamlined, less costly, drug development process. The team works closely with carefully selected collaborators and leverages the combined expertise required for science to advance.

Lead candidates from ValiRx's portfolio are outlicensed or partnered with investors through ValiRx subsidiary companies for further clinical development and commercialisation. 

ValiRx listed on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2006 and trades under the ticker symbol: VAL.

For further information, visit: www.valirx.com