Update on the Phase III INTEREST trial

Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd

("Faron" or the "Company")

Update on the Phase III INTEREST trial of Traumakine in the treatment of ARDS

TURKU - FINLAND, 11 May 2018 - Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd ("Faron") (AIM: FARN), the clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, today issues the following update on its Phase III INTEREST trial of Traumakine in the treatment of ARDS.  Since its announcement on 8 May 2018, Faron has been conducting an initial review of additional data from the Phase III INTEREST trial with Traumakine. 

Early analysis of certain biomarker indicators suggest that the treatment did not produce the expected interferon-beta bioactivity in the treatment group that was previously seen in Faron's Phase I/II trial for Traumakine.

It is still too early to understand why this is the case and there are a number of possible causes that the Company are investigating including, inter alia, formulation, administration and deactivation. Further detailed analysis of the data and testing of product batches still needs to be conducted, and therefore there is no guarantee that this will ultimately prove to be conclusive or, of the resultant implications of that analysis.

Faron will provide an update with further information in due course.

For more information please contact:

Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Dr Markku Jalkanen, Chief Executive Officer

investor.relations@faron.com 

Consilium Strategic Communications

Mary-Jane Elliott, Philippa Gardner, Matthew Neal, Lindsey Neville

Phone: +44 (0)20 3709 5700

E-mail: faron@consilium-comms.com

Westwicke Partners, IR (US)

Chris Brinzey

Phone: 01 339 970 2843

E-Mail: chris.brinzey@westwicke.com

Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited, Nomad and Broker

Freddy Crossley, Emma Earl, Ryan McCarthy

Phone: +44 207 886 2500

About Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Faron (AIM:FARN) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for medical conditions with significant unmet needs. The Company currently has a pipeline focusing on acute organ traumas, vascular damage and cancer immunotherapy. The Company's lead candidate Traumakine, to prevent vascular leakage and organ failures, has completed a Phase III clinical trial in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). An additional European Phase II Traumakine trial is underway for the Rupture of Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm ("RAAA"). Faron's second candidate Clevegen is a ground breaking pre-clinical anti-Clever-1 antibody. Clevegen has the ability to switch immune suppression to immune activation in various conditions, with potential across oncology, infectious disease and vaccine development. This novel macrophage-directed immuno-oncology switch called Tumour Immunity Enabling Technology ("TIET") may be used alone or in combination with other immune checkpoint molecules for the treatment of cancer patients. Faron is based in Turku, Finland. Further information is available at www.faron.com