CEL Celadon Pharmaceuticals Plc

RNS Number:8394Q
Celsis International PLC
27 March 2008


                            CELSIS INTERNATIONAL PLC
                    ("Celsis", "the Company" or "the Group")

                           PRE CLOSE TRADING UPDATE
                         STONG GROWTH QUARTER AT CELSIS

27 March 2008: Celsis International plc, the life sciences products and
laboratory services company, today announces an update on trading prior to the
commencement of its close period for the year ended 31 March 2008.

The Company has made good progress during the year and has seen strong trading
in the fourth quarter, following its Interim Management Statement update
released on 7 February 2008.  As a result, the Group overall is on track to
announce revenue and profit growth in line with the Board's expectations for the
financial year.

The Rapid Detection division, which provides rapid microbial detection systems
to more quickly ensure product safety and quality, has seen an excellent fourth
quarter building on strong performance earlier in the year.  This division's
trend of increasing instrument placements and healthy reagent sales continues
across all market segments as it focuses on expanding its presence in the
rapidly growing microbial testing market.

The Rapid Detection division has finalised the product design of its next
generation nucleic acid technology that is complementary to its existing
technology platform.  Test market evaluations are scheduled to initiate
following the end of the fiscal year with the launch of the product expected
later this year.  This new, advanced product line is designed to leap-frog
existing nucleic acid testing platforms by significantly simplifying the assay
procedure while providing real-time, specific organism intelligence that will
provide customers a more acute response time to microbial contamination events.
 This incremental testing capability has been highlighted as a critical need by
Celsis customers as product safety, quality and operational efficiencies
increasingly become a major concern for customers.

The In Vitro Technologies (Celsis IVT) division, which provides in vitro liver
cell products and development services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology
industries to reduce the time and cost of drug discovery and development, has
also benefited from a very positive fourth quarter adding to excellent earlier
results.  Celsis continues its strategy of aggressive growth for this business
division and its first full year results are expected to be on track.

Celsis IVT also announced today an exclusive global market development agreement
with Apath LLC, a US based drug discovery company focused on human viral
diseases, to assist customers in the evaluation of drug candidates for their
cytotoxicity and efficacy against the Hepatitis C virus.  The agreement is based
on the intellectual property portfolio of Apath developed by its founder Charles
M. Rice, Ph.D. and other pioneers in the field.  The agreement not only provides
sizeable incremental revenue potential to Celsis and is consistent with Celsis'
position in providing leading technologies to our customers that provide
critical information that assists in the drug discovery and development process.
(See separate press release).

The Analytical Services division, which provides outsourced laboratory testing
services to the pharmaceutical industry, continues to see good progress from
three of its four segments, but the slowdown of the Celsis New Jersey chemistry
business has persisted into the fourth quarter.  Although the Analytical
Services business remains strong overall this division's growth is expected to
be restrained by the New Jersey chemistry business.  It is therefore expected to
complete the full year down marginally against last year's excellent 25%
increase in performance.

Celsis will announce its preliminary results for the year ended 31 March 2008,
on Wednesday 18 June 2008.  There will be a presentation to analysts on the day
at 9.30am, held at Financial Dynamics, Holborn Gate, 26 Southampton Buildings,
London, WC2A 1PB.

Jay LeCoque, Chief Executive Officer of Celsis, commented:

"The increasing and combined strength of the Company is apparent and I am
pleased to look forward to a positive year end performance with both revenue and
profit growth in line with the Board's expectations.  We have seen a continued
strengthening of performance, particularly from the Rapid Detection and In Vitro
Technologies divisions, and we believe that Celsis is well placed for future
growth, both organically and through acquisition opportunities, which we
continue to review.

"As part of our commitment to remaining the global leader in our respective
industries, I am particularly optimistic with our market development agreement
with Apath, and I am extremely encouraged by the potential of this new business
venture to help in the fight against Hepatitis C.  I am also pleased with our
Rapid Detection division's progress with its next generation nucleic acid
technology and fully expect that this new product line to leap-frog existing
tests on the market.  These innovative developments underscore our growing
strength in providing our customers with the best technology while offering the
ease of use that Celsis is known for throughout the industry."


Enquiries:

Celsis International plc                                   Tel: 01223 598 428
Jay LeCoque, Chief Executive Officer
Christian Madrolle, Finance Director and Company Secretary

Financial Dynamics                                         Tel: 020 7831 3113
Ben Atwell
David Yates


Notes to editors

Celsis International plc

Celsis International plc is a world leading provider of innovative life science
products and laboratory services to the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and
consumer products industries through its three business areas; rapid detection,
analytical and drug development services and ADME-Tox in vitro technologies.
The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (CEL.L)

Each division of Celsis International plc has the capacity to deliver
substantial time and cost savings to its customers, in addition to ensuring
product quality and safety for consumers.  Celsis Rapid Detection division
utilises proprietary enzyme technology to develop and supply diagnostic testing
instruments and consumables for the rapid detection of microbial contamination
in pharmaceutical and consumer products.  These rapid testing systems provide
significant economic value by reducing the time it takes to test and release raw
materials, in process and finished goods to market.  Celsis Analytical Services
division provides cost effective outsourced laboratory testing services to
pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies.  Its comprehensive service
offerings include a full spectrum of laboratory services from drug development
and discovery to analytical chemistry and biological sciences to stability
storage and testing.  Celsis In Vitro Technologies (Celsis IVT) employs
proprietary expertise in hepatocyte (liver cell) technology to supply in vitro
testing products to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.  Celsis
IVT's consumable testing products screen drug compounds for liver toxicity early
in the drug discovery process, thereby reducing the time and cost of further
development or trial on those compounds which will not be properly metabolised
by the human liver.

Further information can be found on its website at www.celsis.com.



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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