Trail-R2 Progress

Cambridge Antibody Tech Group PLC
11 July 2003




03/CAT/17

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

09.30 BST, 04.30 EST  Friday  11 July 2003

For further information contact:

Cambridge Antibody Technology           Weber Shandwick Square Mile (Europe)
Tel: [phone]               Tel: [phone]
Peter Chambre, Chief Executive Officer  Rachel Lankester
John Aston, Chief Financial Officer     Kevin Smith
Rowena Gardner, Director of Corporate
Communications
                                        BMC Communications/The Trout Group (USA)
                                        Tel: [phone]
                                        Brad Miles, ext 17 (media)
                                        Brandon Lewis, ext.15 (investors)



CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY REPORTS THE INITIATION OF CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT OF
TRAIL-R2 MAB FOR TREATMENT OF CANCER BY HUMAN GENOME SCIENCES, INC



Cambridge, UK ... Cambridge Antibody Technology (LSE: CAT; NASDAQ: CATG)
today acknowledges the announcement by Human Genome Sciences, Inc (NASDAQ: HGSI)
that it has received clearance from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency allowing it to begin clinical development of an agonistic
human monoclonal antibody to TRAIL Receptor-2 (TRAIL-R2 mAb).



HGSI now plans to proceed with a Phase I open-label, dose-escalating study in
the UK to evaluate the safety and pharmacology of TRAIL-R2 mAb in patients with
advanced tumours. This will be HGSI's first clinical trial to be conducted in 
Europe.



HGSI also reports that it will present the results of several in vitro and in
vivo  pre-clinical studies providing evidence that TRAIL-R2 mAb is an attractive
candidate for development as a potential treatment for various cancers, at the
94th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR),
being held in Washington, DC, July 11-14, 2003.  These data demonstrate that
TRAIL-R2 mAb specifically binds to TRAIL Receptor-2, induces apoptosis and has
anti-tumour activity in a broad range of tumour types, both as a single agent
and in combination with chemotherapy.



The TRAIL-R2 mAb was made in a collaboration between CAT and HGSI. HGSI
exercised an option for an exclusive licence to TRAIL R2 mAb in May 2002 and
holds the commercial rights to the drug.



-ENDS-



For a complete copy of the HGSI announcement, please contact HGSI:
www.hgsi.com.



Notes to Editors

Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT):

• CAT is a UK-based biotechnology company using its proprietary
  technologies and capabilities in human monoclonal antibodies for drug 
  discovery and drug development. Based near Cambridge, England, CAT currently 
  employs around 270 people.

• CAT is a leader in the discovery and development of human therapeutic
  antibodies and has an advanced proprietary platform technology for rapidly
  isolating human monoclonal antibodies using phage display systems. CAT has
  extensive phage antibody libraries, currently incorporating more than 100
  billion distinct antibodies. These libraries form the basis for the Company's 
  strategy to develop a portfolio of antibody-based drugs.

• HumiraTM, the leading CAT-derived antibody, isolated and optimised in
  collaboration with Abbott, has been approved by the US Food and Drug
  Administration for marketing in the US as a treatment for rheumatoid 
  arthritis. Seven further CAT-derived human therapeutic antibodies are at 
  various stages of clinical trials.

• CAT has alliances with a large number of pharmaceutical and
  biotechnology companies to discover, develop and commercialise human
  monoclonal antibody-based products. CAT has also licensed its proprietary 
  human phage antibody libraries to several companies for target validation and
  drug discovery. CAT's collaborators include: Abbott, Amgen, Amrad, 
  Chugai, Elan, Genzyme, Human Genome Sciences, Merck & Co, Pfizer and Wyeth 
  Research.

• CAT is listed on the London Stock Exchange and on NASDAQ since June
  2001. CAT raised £41m in its IPO in March 1997 and £93m in a secondary 
  offering in March 2000.



HGS and Human Genome Sciences are trademarks of Human Genome Sciences, Inc.





Application of the Safe Harbor of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995:

This press release contains statements about Cambridge Antibody Technology Group
plc ("CAT") that are forward looking statements. All statements other than
statements of historical facts included in this press release may be forward
looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934. These forward looking statements are based on numerous assumptions
regarding CAT's present and future business strategies and the
environment in which CAT will operate in the future. Certain factors that could
cause CAT's actual results, performance or achievements to differ
materially from those in the forward looking statements include: market
conditions, CAT's ability to enter into and maintain collaborative
arrangements, success of product candidates in clinical trials, regulatory
developments and competition.


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