Silence Therapeutics Welcomes Frazier Life Sciences as New Key Shareholder

Rhea-AI Summary

Silence Therapeutics plc (AIM: SLN, Nasdaq: SLN) announced that Frazier Life Sciences has acquired approximately $20 million worth of ordinary shares, becoming a 3% shareholder. This partnership underscores Silence’s potential in RNA interference technology and enhances its financial backing as it progresses with two clinical stage programs and expands its pre-clinical pipeline using its mRNAi GOLD™ platform. The move aligns with Silence's strategy to attract institutional investors, particularly after its delisting from AIM.

Positive

• Frazier Life Sciences purchased approximately $20 million of shares, becoming a 3% shareholder, indicating strong institutional interest.
• The partnership supports Silence's growth potential in RNA interference technology, enhancing investor confidence.
• Silence is progressing with two significant clinical stage programs and expanding its pre-clinical pipeline.

Negative

• None.

Silence Therapeutics Welcomes Frazier Life Sciences as New Key Shareholder

5 November 2021

LONDON, Silence Therapeutics plc, AIM: SLN and Nasdaq: SLN (“Silence” or “the Company”), a leader in the discovery, development and delivery of novel short interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) therapeutics for the treatment of diseases with significant unmet medical need, today announced that a leading healthcare focused investment firm, Frazier Life Sciences Public Fund, purchased approximately $20 million of existing ordinary shares in Silence and is now a 3% shareholder in the Company.

Albert Cha, M.D., Ph.D., Managing Partner of Frazier Life Sciences, said: “Frazier Life Sciences is excited for the prospects for Silence’s RNA interference platform technology and the potential for the Company’s growth, given its promising pipeline and the noteworthy success other companies have demonstrated with RNA interference programs.”

Mark Rothera, President and Chief Executive Officer of Silence, said: “Frazier has a track record of partnering with science-driven healthcare businesses, and we are very pleased to welcome them as an important new shareholder in Silence. This comes at an exciting time for the Company as we progress two important, wholly owned clinical stage programs and rapidly expand our pre-clinical pipeline leveraging our mRNAi GOLD™ platform.”

Craig Tooman, Chief Financial Officer of Silence, said: “A key objective of our decision to delist from AIM and focus our efforts on Nasdaq was to attract institutional healthcare funds like Frazier. This is exactly what we envisioned, and we look forward to continuing to expand our global shareholder base.”

Founded in 1991, Frazier Healthcare Partners is a leading provider of growth and venture capital to healthcare companies. With over $7.1 billion total capital raised, Frazier has invested in more than 200 companies, with investment types ranging from company creation and venture capital to publicly traded companies and buyouts of profitable lower-middle market companies. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., the Frazier Life Sciences team invests globally in private and publicly traded companies that develop and commercialize innovative biopharmaceuticals to address important unmet medical needs. Since 2005, 61 Frazier Life Sciences portfolio companies, many of which were created or seeded by Frazier, have completed IPOs or M&As. For more information about Frazier Life Sciences, visit their website at www.frazierhealthcare.com/life-sciences.

Enquiries:

Silence Therapeutics plc Gem Hopkins, Head of IR and Corporate Communications ir@silence-therapeutics.com	Tel:  +1 (646) 637-3208
Investec Bank plc (Nominated Adviser and Broker) Daniel Adams/Gary Clarence	Tel:  +44 (0) 20 7597 5970
European PR Consilium Strategic Communications Mary-Jane Elliott/ Angela Gray / Chris Welsh silencetherapeutics@consilium-comms.com	Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700

About Silence Therapeutics
Silence Therapeutics is developing a new generation of medicines by harnessing the body's natural mechanism of RNA interference, or RNAi, to inhibit the expression of specific target genes thought to play a role in the pathology of diseases with significant unmet need. Silence's proprietary mRNAi GOLD™ platform can be used to create siRNAs (short interfering RNAs) that precisely target and silence disease-associated genes in the liver, which represents a substantial opportunity. Silence's wholly owned product candidates include SLN360 designed to address the high and prevalent unmet medical need in reducing cardiovascular risk in people born with high levels of lipoprotein(a) and SLN124 designed to address iron-loading anemia conditions. Silence also maintains ongoing research and development collaborations with AstraZeneca, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, and Hansoh Pharma, among others. For more information, please visit https://www.silence-therapeutics.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other securities laws, including with respect to the Company's clinical and commercial prospects and the anticipated timing of data reports from the Company's clinical trials. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, and projections about its industry; its beliefs; and assumptions.  Words such as 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control, are difficult to predict, and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements, including those risks identified in the Company's most recent Admission Document and its amended Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 29, 2021. The Company cautions security holders and prospective security holders not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the view of the Company only as of the date of this announcement. The forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. The Company will not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances, or unanticipated events occurring after the date of this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory authority.