Any thoughts on this new deal? Likely partner?

Starpharma signs agrochemicals deal
Melbourne, Australia; 5 November 2009 - Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX:SPL,
OTCQX:SPHRY) today announced the signing of a research and collaboration agreement between
its wholly owned US subsidiary, DNT Inc, and a prominent, US-based agricultural chemicals
company. The confidentiality provisions of the agreement prevent disclosure of the name of the
collaborating company at this time.
Under the agreement the parties will use DNT’s Priostar® dendrimer technology to enhance the
performance of existing pesticides. The approach is a natural extension of Starpharma’s drug
delivery work, in which dendrimers extend the persistence of an active molecule, potentially
reducing the amount of active that is required for a given effect.
The agreement applies to specific classes of pesticides, and does not prevent Starpharma’s further
commercialisation of dendrimers more widely in the agricultural chemicals sector.
The global market for agricultural chemicals for 2008 was estimated to be US$123.5 billion, of
which pesticides represented US$35.8 billion.
“Agricultural applications offer an exciting and significant opportunity for the Company in what is a
completely new market for Starpharma’s proprietary technology,” said Dr Jackie Fairley, CEO
Starpharma.
“Starpharma is committed to building its revenues through partnering with market leaders in
selected, commercially attractive industry sectors, as this deal and our previous partnerships
illustrate. This strategy allows us to rely on partners’ product knowledge and market position to
rapidly achieve diversification of our commercial base, whilst enabling the Company to focus its
own resources on its core competencies and lead products,” Dr Fairley added.
Starpharma’s other areas of commercial exploitation of dendrimer technology include: sexual health
(VivaGel® coated condoms – licensed to SSL International, and VivaGel® topical microbicide); drug
delivery with GSK’s Stiefel laboratories; in vitro diagnostics through Siemens Healthcare;
laboratory reagents through Qiagen and EMD Merck; and animal health through Eli Lilly’s Elanco.