Launch of Portfolio Company

RNS Number:8110O
Biofusion PLC
27 February 2008


For immediate release                            27 February 2008





                                 BIOFUSION PLC

                         ("Biofusion or the "Company")



                               Launch of  Demasq



Biofusion plc (AIM: BFN), the university IP commercialisation company that turns
world class research into business, today announces the launch of a new
portfolio company, Demasq Limited ("Demasq"), which is developing a range of
innovative bone and soft tissue imaging products based on its advanced medical
imaging technology.



Demasq is a new spin-out company from Biofusion's partnership with Cardiff
University and is the result of work carried out by Professor Hechmi Toumi, a
specialist at the muscle-bone-tendon unit of the School of Biosciences.
Professor Toumi has been advised in his work by Professor John Fairclough,
consultant orthopaedic surgeon at University Hospital Wales and a leading knee
specialist.



Demasq's first product, the Degenerative Knee Indicator (DKI), aims to provide
surgeons, radiologists, physiotherapists and GPs with  more image detail, at
less cost, than conventional knee imaging technologies. The DKI image aims to
provide the soft tissue detail achievable with MRI combined with the bone detail
of an X-ray.



Demasq aims to launch the DKI in the UK and US in 2009. In parallel, Demasq is
generating a pipeline of additional products for a range of imaging
applications. Biofusion has invested an initial �450,000 in Demasq. At inception
Biofusion will have a 50% shareholding in Demasq.



Knee pain is the most common musculoskeletal complaint for which patients seek
medical advice, with nearly 20 million people visiting their physician with knee
problems every year in the US.



The launch of Demasq brings the total number of companies in the Biofusion
portfolio to 25.



Commenting on the launch and investment, David Baynes, Chief Executive Officer
of Biofusion, said:



"We are very excited by the cutting edge advanced medical imaging technology
that Demasq has developed. Its first product, which targets the multimillion
pound knee pain diagnosis market, has the potential to revolutionise the
diagnosis of knee problems for patients. We are particularly excited by the
speed with which we believe we can launch the first product into the US and UK
private sector markets."



Commenting on the technology, Professor Hechmi Toumi of Cardiff University's
School of Biosciences, said:



"This is an exciting venture which promises to alter our perception of the
conventional use of X-rays. The soft tissues which have been invisible in the
past are exactly the ones where most disease processes occur. The Degenerative
Knee Indicator allows clinicians to determine the health or otherwise of these
soft tissues."



Also commenting on the technology, Professor John Fairclough, of the University
Hospital Wales, said:



"The Demasq imaging technique offers to the medical world a revolutionary method
of viewing conventional X-rays which will be of great potential benefit to both
the medical practitioners and the providers of the health care. This exciting
invention will potentially offer that rare combination of providing new
information to clinicians to help patients while potentially reducing the cost
to the health service."





For further information please contact:
Biofusion                                                    +44 (0)114 275 5555
David Baynes, Chief Executive Officer

Stuart Gall, Commercial Director

Nomura Code Securities                                      +44 (0) 20 7776 1200

Phil Walker/Clare Terlouw

Buchanan Communications                                      +44 (0)20 7466 5000
Mary-Jane Johnson / Lisa Baderoon / Catherine Breen




About Biofusion



Biofusion was established in 2002 to commercialise university-generated IP.
Biofusion has signed long-term agreements with two of the UK's top ten research
intensive universities (University of Sheffield and Cardiff University) giving a
combined R&D spend attributable to Biofusion of approximately �114 million a
year.



Biofusion's first agreement was a ten-year exclusive arrangement with the
University of Sheffield for the commercialisation of IP owned by the University
in the area of medical life sciences. Biofusion has shareholdings in a portfolio
of Sheffield University spin-out companies including Asterion, Axordia,
Biohydrogen, Lifestyle Choices, Diurnal and Phase Focus. The University of
Sheffield was ranked 5th in the UK for the quality of its life sciences research
and will be spending an estimated �0.5bn of research funding over the lifetime
over the life of the Sheffield Agreement.



In January 2007, Biofusion completed a long-term exclusive agreement with
Cardiff University, to commercialise 100% of all Cardiff University's
research-generated IP.  Biofusion has shareholdings in a portfolio of Cardiff
University spin-out companies including Abcellute, Q-Chip and Morvus. Cardiff
University was ranked 7th in the UK in the most recent research rankings and
will be spending more than �1.0bn of research funding over the lifetime over the
life of the Cardiff Agreement.




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            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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