Re Agreement with Unilever

Phytopharm PLC
15 December 2004



Company Contact:                 U.S. Investor Relations Contact               U.K. Investor Relations Contact
Phytopharm, plc                  Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates, Inc           Financial Dynamics
Richard Dixey                    Kim Sutton Golodetz                           David Yates/Ben Atwell
07867 782000                     ([e-mail])                          [phone]
Wang Chong                       [phone]
[phone]               Bruce Voss ([e-mail])
www.phytopharm.com               [phone]



Unilever, plc
Trevor Gorin
020 7822 6010





Phytopharm and Unilever enter into a Licence and Joint Development Agreement for
                            Hoodia Gordonii Extract



Agreement includes provisions for substantial milestone payments, stage payments
                                 and royalties



GODMANCHESTER, Cambridgeshire, U.K. (December 15, 2004) - Phytopharm plc (LSE:
PYM; NASDAQBB: PHYOF; PHYOY) ('Phytopharm') announced today that it has granted
an exclusive global licence to its Hoodia gordonii extract to Unilever plc, the
global consumer products company and owner of a number of the world's leading
brands.



As part of the agreement, Unilever will commit to initial payments totalling
approximately £6.5 million ($12.5 million) out of a potential total of £21
million ($40 million) in payments to Phytopharm.  In addition Phytopharm will
receive an undisclosed royalty on sales of all products containing the extract.



The extract of Hoodia gordonii, a South African plant, was licensed exclusively
by Phytopharm from the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR) in 1997. Phytopharm has been actively developing the extract for
incorporation into weight loss products.



Unilever and Phytopharm will collaborate on a five stage research and
development programme of safety and efficacy studies with a view to bringing new
products to market. Unilever will also manage a separate agronomy programme and
will support the international patent programme for the products.



Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1 billion
adults overweight - at least 300 million of them clinically obese - and is a
major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability
(Source: World Health Organisation).



Commenting on today's announcement, Dr. Richard Dixey, Chief Executive Officer
of Phytopharm, said:



'We are delighted to enter into this agreement with the global leader in weight
management products.  Our partnership with Unilever supports the development of
this product with milestones and a fully funded programme and we look forward to
generating royalty income from our partner's globally recognised brands.'



                                    - ENDS -



A conference call for analysts and investors will be held at 8.30am today.
Please call Mo Noonan on 020 7269 7116 for details.





NOTES TO EDITORS



Unilever

Unilever is one of the world's largest consumer products companies with annual
sales of $48.4 billion in 2003.  It produces and markets a wide range of foods
and home and personal care products including Becel, Bertolli, Birds Eye, Blue
Band, Country Crock, Findus, Flora Pro-Activ, Heart, Hellmann's, Iglo, Knorr,
Lipton, Rama, and  SlimFast.  Unilever operates in more than 100 countries
around the globe and employs approximately 230,000 people.

CSIR

The CSIR is the largest public Research and Development organisation in Africa.
It has a turnover of US$150 million and a staff complement of approximately 2500
specialist scientists, engineers, technologists and support staff who undertake
broadly-based, market-driven research and development for the benefit of the
commercial market place, as well as urban and rural communities in South Africa
and the region.  In 2003, the CSIR entered a benefit sharing agreement with the
South African San Council, who represent the peoples whose traditional use led
to the investigation of the Hoodia plant.



Phytopharm plc

Phytopharm is focused on the research and development of novel pharmaceutical
and functional food products based on clinical and pre-clinical data generated
from medicinal plant extracts.  The Company has seven development programmes in
four disease areas: neurodegeneration, obesity and metabolic disease,
dermatology and inflammation and has a portfolio of two marketed veterinary
products.



More information concerning Phytopharm's activities can be found on its web site
                          at http://www.phytopharm.com



This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S.
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with respect to the financial condition, results
and business achievements/performance of Phytopharm and certain of the plans and
objectives of its management.  These statements are statements that are not
historical facts.  Words such as 'should', 'expects', 'anticipates', 'estimates
', 'believes' or similar expressions, as they relate to Phytopharm, are intended
to identify forward-looking statements.  By their nature, forward-looking
statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect Phytopharm's
current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that
may not prove accurate.  There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends
or results will actually occur.  Any changes in such assumptions or expectations
could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.



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