AGM Statement

Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC
16 October 2001

Issued by Citigate Dewe Rogerson Ltd, Birmingham

Date: Tuesday, 16 October 2001

IMMEDIATE RELEASE


                          Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC

                            Annual General Meeting

At today's Annual General Meeting Peter Redfern, Chairman, Dechra
Pharmaceuticals PLC told shareholders:

'Little time, of course, has elapsed since the Report and Accounts were
circulated to you, but I am pleased to say that our business activity
continues to support the confidence the Directors were then able to express in
the scope for the Company to continue its growth, both by organic means and
through acquisition of related businesses. Whilst it would not be appropriate
to be specific at this time, I can say that we perceive a number of
opportunities in both these areas and our expectations for the future remain
positive.

'Since our Report and Accounts were published, the Competition Commission
announced on 9 October that it intended to launch an enquiry into the supply
in the United Kingdom of prescription only veterinary medicines, following a
reference from the Director General of Fair Trading under the Fair Trading Act
of 1973. Dechra, of course, is a leading distributor of such products in the
UK, and has been invited to participate in the enquiry.

'We issued a statement to the market on the same day in which we said that the
Directors have no reason to believe that the Company will be regarded as
contributing to any possible complex monopoly situation, and have since had a
little more time to consider its implications.

'We welcome this enquiry; will be co-operating wholeheartedly with it, and do
not regard its implications as negative for Dechra's existing activities or
our plans for the future.

'As participants, we expect to be closely involved and will ensure that
shareholders are fully informed on its completion.

'I am pleased to be able to tell you that the development of our new
manufacturing facilities at Dales continues to advance satisfactorily and we
expect to complete the investment at the end of this calendar year.

'The Board is especially pleased to have been able to report on a successful
maiden year as a public company, and I would like to thank all our
shareholders for their support during that year. We are committed to the
future growth of Dechra, and to earning that same support in the years to
come.'

All Resolutions were duly passed.


Enquiries:

Gary Evans, Chief Executive

Simon Evans, Group Finance Director Fiona Tooley

Dechra(R) Pharmaceuticals PLC       Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Tel: [phone]                   Tel: [phone]

Mobile: [phone] (Gary Evans)   Mobile: [phone]

www.dechra.com                      e-mail: [e-mail]