ISSUANCE OF US STROKE PATENT

11 December 2006

Proteome Sciences plc is pleased to announce the issuance of US Patent Number 7,144,705 entitled "Diagnostic Assay for Stroke". The claims of the patent relate to methods of diagnosing stroke by measuring the levels of heart fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), one of Proteome Sciences' proprietary biomarkers discovered in the blood of stroke patients.

The presence of H-FABP in the blood of patients suffering from stroke was first discovered in 1999 by scientists working at the University of Geneva in a collaboration with Proteome Sciences. The two parties have worked extensively since that time to validate its utility for diagnosing and monitoring the progression of stroke. This has resulted in the discovery of further protein biomarkers, all of which are subject to patent applications in the major patent jurisdictions including the US, Europe and the Far East, from which combinations of stroke markers will be used to make panels for the diagnosis and prognosis of stroke in blood.

Proteome Sciences has previously announced four licensing agreements relating to its portfolio of stroke biomarkers. Its licensees continue to undertake their respective development programmes and the company looks forward to further progress with both existing and future licensees in 2007.

Commenting on the issuance Christopher Pearce, Chief Executive of Proteome Sciences said:

"The issuance of a US patent on one of our earliest biomarker candidates is a significant milestone for the company. It validates the patentability of proteomics biomarkers in the largest economic market and underpins the value and importance of our extensive intellectual property portfolio in protein biomarkers.

We anticipate the issuance of further patents relating to H-FABP in other territories following on from the US allowance and that the patent applications for the other stroke biomarkers will proceed to grant.

The issuance of the first US patent relating to our stroke biomarkers will enhance the continuing licensing process and we expect that further of the major global players in clinical diagnostics will now want to include and develop our biomarkers as in vitro diagnostic tests."