U.S. NIH TO FUND MICROBICIDE CLINICAL TRIAL

Starpharma Holdings has signed an agreement with the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to fund a clinical trial of the microbicide VivaGel.

This support from the NIH is in addition to the previously announced $20.3 million provided to support the development of VivaGel for the prevention of HIV and genital herpes in sexually active women.

"The clinical study will complement the ongoing development activities being conducted under a range of NIH-funded mechanisms for the development of VivaGel for prevention of HIV and genital herpes, and further consolidates the company's important relationship with the NIH," Jackie Fairley, CEO of Starpharma, said.

The trial will be conducted by The Microbicide Trials Network, a worldwide collaborative clinical trials network established by Division of AIDS of the NIAID to evaluate the safety and efficacy of microbicides. The study will be conducted at two sites in the U.S. and Puerto Rico and is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2007.