Strategic Collaboration

Cambridge Antibody Tech Group PLC
12 September 2000


For Further Information Contact:

Cambridge Antibody Technology        
Tel: [phone]
Dr David Chiswell, CEO       
John Aston, Finance Director
Rowena Gardner, Communications Manager


HCC De Facto (Europe)
Tel: [phone]
Nikul Odedra (trade)
Sue Charles (city/financial)


Oxford Glycosciences plc
Michael Kranda, Chief Executive Officer
Tel : [phone]
Worldwide Web: http//:www.orgs.com

BMC Communications/The Trout Group (USA)
Tel: [phone]
Brad Miles, ext 17 (media)
Jonathan Fassberg, ext.16 (investors)

Financial Dynamics (Europe)
Tel: [phone]
David Yates
Sarah Mehanna

                                                                              
  OXFORD GLYCOSCIENCES AND CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC   
                    COLLABORATION IN ANTIBODY MICROARRAYS                     


Melbourn and Oxford UK... Cambridge Antibody Technology (LSE: CAT) and Oxford
GlycoSciences plc (LSE: OGS) today announced the formation of a strategic
research collaboration to develop 'Protein Chip' technology for detection of
proteins using antibody based microarrays.

CAT and OGS will combine their respective world-leading technologies, to
develop a new protein detection and screening technology based on antibody
microarrays. OGS's human protein libraries and CAT's human antibody libraries
will be analysed, paired proteins and antibodies selected and microarrays
developed based on OGS's current protein microarray prototype format. The goal
is to create a new generation of protein detection technology, with the speed,
throughput and sensitivity to serve the development of research tools,
diagnostics and novel therapeutics.  Each party will fund its own research
contribution. 

Michael Kranda, CEO of OGS said, 'With the Human Genome map in hand the
spotlight has shifted to proteins, proteomics and antibody technology. The
CAT/OGS Protein Chip project will focus on combining our expertise to explore
the next generation of high throughput proteomics technology.  We see the
field of analytical proteomics maturing similarly to genomics.  OGS pioneered
industrialised proteomics based on 2D gels and mass spectrometry, for
discovery of human proteins.  We currently have over 800 patent filings
covering disease specific proteins, with the number growing.  Our technology
team has used our expertise in proteomics, micro-engineering and informatics,
to develop the prototype of an antibody-based protein detection microarray. 
The alliance with CAT provides us access to their high throughput antibody
technology to bring our prototype microarrays to an industrial scale for
developing protein chips as screening and diagnostic tools. We are very
pleased to link up with the acknowledged antibody technology expertise at
CAT'. 

David Chiswell, CEO of CAT, said: 'Understanding the expression, processing,
modification and activity of proteins is fundamental to the development of
revolutionary diagnostics, prognostics and therapies for human disease
management.  We at CAT believe that antibody-based microarrays will be a core
tool for unlocking this understanding.  CAT's extensive pioneering work on
high throughput antibody isolation, which has included the world's first fully
automated, high throughput antibody selection and screening processes
developed three years ago, makes CAT the partner of choice to develop Protein
Chips.   Teaming up with the world-leading proteomics expertise at Oxford
GlycoSciences is CAT's first collaboration designed to help solve the
technological and commercial challenges in developing Protein Chips and to
unlock the strategic value in this new market.'
                                                                    

Notes to Editors:

Cambridge Antibody Technology (LSE:CAT)
* CAT is a UK biotechnology company using its proprietary technologies in
fully human monoclonal antibodies for drug discovery and drug development. 
Based in Melbourn, 10 miles south of Cambridge, England, CAT currently employs
around 180 people.  
* CAT is listed on the London Stock Exchange, having raised £41m in its IPO in
March 1997. A Secondary Offering in March 2000 raised £93m.* 
* CAT has a world-leading platform technology for rapidly isolating fully
human monoclonal antibodies using proprietary phage display systems.  CAT has
an extensive phage display antibody library, currently incorporating around
100 billion distinct antibodies. This library forms the basis for the
company's strategy to develop a portfolio of clinical development programmes
and for discovering new drug leads using functional genomics.  Four fully
human therapeutic antibodies developed by CAT are at various stages of
clinical trials.
* CAT has a number of license and collaborative agreements in place with
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies including: Eli Lilly, Pfizer, BASF
Pharma, Genentech, ICOS Corporation, Genetics Institute, Wyeth-Ayerst, Human
Genome Sciences, AstraZeneca and Pharmacia.  

Oxford GlycoSciences (LSE:OGT)
* OGS is the world's leading proteomics based drug discovery and development
company headquartered in Oxfordshire, UK, applying its proteomics technology
to pharmaceutical research and development. OGS has proteomics collaborations
with a number of major pharmaceutical companies, including programmes with
Pfizer in Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis, with Merck in diabetes, and
in respiratory disease with Bayer.  OGS also has a proteomics programme with
Pioneer Hi-Bred/DuPont.  Furthermore, in a joint venture with the genomics
company, Incyte Genomics Inc., OGS is building expression databases for
licence to pharmaceutical companies, to which AstraZeneca became the first
subscriber in 1999.
* OGS has drug discovery programmes in oncology, inflammation, and infectious
disease,    and a growing clinical and pre-clinical pipeline.  OGT 918
(Vivesca(tm)) is in late stage clinical trials for the treatment of glycolipid
storage disease.  

Microarrays
* A microarray is a chemically modified surface (chip) onto which a high
density of probes have been precisely applied in an ordered manner.

Protein Chip
* A protein chip is a chemically modified surface onto which a high density of
protein-based probes have been precisely applied in an ordered manner.

Some important facts that could cause actual results to vary significantly
from management's expectations noted in these forward looking statements
include government approvals, intellectual property positions and costs.  OGT
918 is an investigational drug and has not received approval for marketing in
any country.