Vaccine Option Agreement

RNS Number:3013G
Provalis PLC
13 December 2004


For Immediate Release                                         13th December 2004

                                  Provalis plc

          Provalis signs Vaccine Option Agreement with Aventis Pasteur

Provalis plc (LSE: PRO; NASDAQ:PVLS), the Medical Diagnostics and
Pharmaceuticals Group, today announces that it has signed an option agreement
with Aventis Pasteur, the vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group, for the
development of vaccine candidates to prevent streptococcus pneumoniae infection.

Under the terms of the agreement, Aventis Pasteur is granted a 24 month
exclusive option to evaluate Provalis' protein based antigen vaccine candidates
to prevent streptococcus pneumoniae infection.  Aventis Pasteur will pay an
initial option fee to Provalis and will pay all costs, back dated to May 2004,
connected with the patents relating to these vaccine candidates. Aventis Pasteur
has the right to enter into an exclusive license for these vaccine candidates on
pre-determined terms, which include multi-million dollar milestone payments and
commercial royalty rates on any product commercialised.

Commenting on the agreement, Phil Gould, Chief Executive Officer of Provalis,
said, "We are delighted to have reached this agreement with a world-wide player
in vaccine development such as Aventis Pasteur.  This now represents our third
major agreement within our vaccine portfolio - the others being with
GlaxoSmithKline and Chiron Vaccines - and completes our partnering programme.
This means we are committed to no further spend for the Group, whilst retaining
the potential to generate considerable upside for our shareholders in the
future."

                                      END

Provalis' Internet Website ; http://www.provalis.com

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995: Statements in this announcement that relate to future plans, expectations,
events, performances and the like are forward-looking statements as defined in
the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results of
events could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking
statements due to a variety of factors.  Such factors include, among others: the
viability of the Group's products, which are at various stages of development;
the generation of sufficient operating cash flow by the Group's pharmaceutical
and medical diagnostic businesses to finance the ongoing development of these
businesses as well as the Group's research and development activities; the
success of the Group's research and development strategy and activities;
uncertainties related to future clinical trial results and the associated
regulatory process; the execution and success of collaborative agreements with
third parties; availability and level of reimbursement for the Group's products
from government health administration authorities or other third-party payors;
the rate of net cash utilisation within the Group and, hence, the Group's
possible need for additional capital in the short, medium and/or long term; the
Group's intellectual property position and the success of patent applications
for its products and technologies; the Group's dependence on key personnel;
general business and economic conditions; the impact of future laws, regulations
and policies; stock market trends in the Group's sector; and other factors
beyond the Group's control that may cause the Group's available capital
resources to be used more quickly than expected.  These and other factors that
could affect the Company's future results are more fully described in its
filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, in particular the latest
20-F filing, copies of which are available from the Company Secretary at the
Company's registered address.


For further information:-

Dr Phil Gould, Chief Executive Officer, Provalis plc, Tel:  01244 833463
Mr Peter Bream, Finance Director, Provalis plc, Tel: 01244 833552
Mr Lee Greenbury, Company Secretary, Provalis plc, Tel:  01244 833402
Lisa Baderoon, Buchanan Communications, Tel:  020 7466 5000

Notes to Editors

Provalis plc (LSE: PRO; NASDAQ: PVLS) is a diversified healthcare group with two
operating businesses:-
          
*    Medical Diagnostics - develops medical diagnostic products for chronic 
     disease management for sale to world markets.  The business' principal
     products are currently Glycosal(R) and Osteosal(R), in the areas of 
     diabetes and osteoporosis respectively, with the first shipments of 
     in2it(TM) A1c, the business' next generation diabetes management system, to 
     be made before the end of 2004.

*    Pharmaceuticals - sells and markets its own, and third party, branded, 
     prescription medicines in the UK and Ireland to GPs and hospitals through 
     its regionally managed sales force.  The business' principal product is
     Diclomax(R), a medicine for use in the treatment of musculo-skeletal 
     disorders, and it also sells products in the areas of gastroenterology, 
     osteoporosis, migraine and dermatology.

Provalis' vaccine R&D - From 1998-2002 identified a number of vaccine candidates
for common infections.  However, given the significant costs required to fund
the evaluation of lead candidates into clinical trials, the Group concluded that
this was beyond the resources of Provalis and a number of programmes, together
with all associated rights, were offered for sale or licence.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) is a species of bacteria associated with
respiratory and ear infections.  It accounts for all cases of pneumonia and
30-40% of acute otitis media (middle ear) infections.  Provalis' proprietary
recombinant protein based antigens allow the development of a vaccine to prevent
or treat cases of Spn infection.


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