19 April 2017, London – Verona Pharma plc (AIM: VRP) (“Verona Pharma”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercialising innovative therapeutics for the treatment of respiratory diseases with significant unmet medical needs, announces today the commencement of an underwritten public offering of its ordinary shares in a global offering (the “Global Offering”), comprising a registered offering of ordinary shares in the form of American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) in the United States and a concurrent private placement of ordinary shares in Europe and other countries outside of the United States and Canada. Investors other than qualified investors under applicable law will not be eligible to participate in the ordinary share private placement. All ADSs and ordinary shares to be sold in the Global Offering will be sold by Verona Pharma.

Verona Pharma has applied to have its ADSs listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “VRNA”. Verona Pharma’s ordinary shares are currently admitted for trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (“AIM”) under the symbol “VRP”. Application will be made to admit all of the ordinary shares to be issued in the Global Offering to trading on AIM.

Jefferies and Stifel are acting as joint book-running managers for the Global Offering. Wedbush PacGrow and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey are acting as co-managers.

The Global Offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. When available, copies of the preliminary prospectus relating to and describing the terms of the Global Offering may be obtained from the offices of Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at (877) 547-6340, or by e-mail at Prospectus_Department@Jefferies.com; or from Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Attention: Syndicate, One Montgomery Street, Suite 3700, San Francisco, California 94104, or by telephone at (415) 364-2720, or by e-mail at syndprospectus@stifel.com.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy these securities be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding our plans to conduct the Global Offering.

These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from our expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: we may determine not to conduct the Global Offering in the time frame that we currently expect or at all, due to a number of potential important factors, including conditions in the U.S. capital markets, negative global economic conditions, potential negative developments in our clinical trials or research programs, other negative developments in our business, or unfavorable legislative or regulatory developments.

These and other important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forwardlooking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

For readers in the European Economic Area

In any EEA Member State that has implemented the Prospectus Directive (as defined below), this communication is only addressed to and directed at qualified investors in that Member State within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive. The term “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including Directive 2010/73/EU, to the extent implemented in each relevant Member State), together with any relevant implementing measure in the relevant Member State.

For readers in the United Kingdom

There will be no offer of ADSs or ordinary shares to the public in the United Kingdom.

This communication, in so far as it constitutes an invitation or inducement to enter into investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 as amended (“FSMA”)) in connection with the securities which are the subject of the offering described in this press release or otherwise, is being directed only at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments who fall within Article 19(5) (“Investment professionals”) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (iii) certain high value persons and entities who fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (“High net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.”) of the Order; or (iv) any other person to whom it may lawfully be communicated (all such persons in (i) to (iv) together being referred to as “relevant persons”). The ADSs or ordinary shares offered in the Global Offering are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such ADSs or ordinary shares will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. This communication does not contain an offer or constitute any part of an offer to the public within the meaning of ss. 85 and 102B of FSMA or otherwise.

For further information, please contact:
Verona Pharma plc Tel: +44 (0)20 3283 4200
Jan-Anders Karlsson, Chief Executive Officer info@veronapharma.com