Investors

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ – April 16, 2009 – Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYCC, NASDAQ: CYCCP) announced today the presentation of preclinical data from its two most advanced clinical programs, sapacitabine and seliciclib, at the upcoming American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting to be held in the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO from April 18 - 22, 2009.

Data highlighting the effects on Acute Myeloid Leukemia cell lines of combinations of Cyclacel’s sapacitabine with either HDAC or methytransferase inhibitors will be presented at a poster session. Insights into the mechanism of action of seliciclib against lung cancer cells through the inhibition of CDK/cyclin complexes will be reported at an oral presentation by a group from Dartmouth Medical School and collaborators from Cyclacel. Cyclacel scientists will report also at an oral presentation the discovery and characterization of novel, orally-available CDK inhibitors with similar CDK target profiles to seliciclib but with significantly greater potency and improved pharmaceutical properties.

Details of the poster presentations referring to specific Cyclacel programs are as follows:

Sapacitabine

“Synergistic interactions between sapacitabine (CYC682) and inhibitors of either histone deacetylase or methyltransferase in Acute Myeloid Leukemia cell lines”
Date/Time: Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Mountain Time
Abstract Number: 4552

Seliciclib

“Targeting the cyclin E-Cdk2 complex represses lung cancer growth by triggering apoptosis and anaphase catastrophe”
Date/Time: Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009, 3:40 PM Mountain Time
Abstract Number: 4784

“Derivatives of seliciclib with improved potency both in vitro and in vivo as novel cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors”
Date/Time: Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009, 11:10 AM Mountain Time
Abstract Number: 3863

The abstracts are currently available online at www.aacr.org.

About Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Cyclacel is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel, mechanism-targeted drugs to treat human cancers and other serious disorders. Three orally-available Cyclacel drugs are in clinical development. Sapacitabine (CYC682), a cell cycle modulating nucleoside analog, is in Phase 2 studies for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in the elderly, myelodysplastic syndromes, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and lung cancer. Seliciclib (CYC202 or R-roscovitine), a CDK (cyclin dependent kinase) inhibitor, is in Phase 2 for the treatment of lung cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer. CYC116, an Aurora kinase and VEGFR2 inhibitor, is in Phase 1 in patients with solid tumors. Cyclacel’s ALIGN Pharmaceuticals subsidiary markets directly in the U.S. Xclair® Cream for radiation dermatitis, Numoisyn® Liquid and Numoisyn® Lozenges for xerostomia. Cyclacel’s strategy is to build a diversified biopharmaceutical business focused in hematology, oncology and other therapeutic areas based on a portfolio of commercial products and a development pipeline of novel drug candidates.

Please visit www.cyclacel.com for additional information. Note: The Cyclacel logo and Cyclacel® are trade­marks of Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Numoisyn® and Xclair® are trademarks of Sinclair Pharma plc.

Risk Factors

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, the efficacy, safety, and intended utilization of Cyclacel's product candidates, the conduct and results of future clinical trials, plans regarding regulatory filings, future research and clinical trials and plans regarding partnering activities. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include the risk that product candidates that appeared promising in early research and clinical trials do not demonstrate safety and/or efficacy in larger-scale or later clinical trials, the risk that Cyclacel will not obtain approval to market its products, the risks associated with reliance on outside financing to meet capital requirements, and the risks associated with reliance on collaborative partners for further clinical trials, development and commercialization of product candidates. You are urged to consider statements that include the words "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "potential," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "continues," "forecast," "designed," "goal," or the negative of those words or other comparable words to be uncertain and forward-looking. These factors and others are more fully discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, as supplemented by the interim quarterly reports, filed with the SEC.

Contacts for Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: 
Investors:
Corey Sohmer, (908) 517-7330
csohmer@cyclacel.com

Media/Press:
Peter Steinerman, (516) 641 8959
PRSteinerman@aol.com