Directorate

OXFORD BIOMEDICA PLC
26 July 1999

                  OXFORD BIOMEDICA PLC
  APPOINTS EX FISONS AND SMITH KLINE DIRECTOR TO BOARD
                            
Oxford,   UK,  Oxford  BioMedica  announces   today   the
appointment of Dr Peter Johnson to its Board  as  a  Non-
Executive Director.

Dr  Johnson (BSc, PhD, FRSC, FIBiol, FRCPath),  aged  63,
has  extensive  drug research and development  experience
with   Wellcome,  Hoechst  and  Astra.  He  was  formerly
chairman and managing director of Smith Kline and  French
Research  Limited and director of pharmaceutical research
and  development and group main board director of  Fisons
Plc.  He  is currently a member of the board of  Quadrant
Healthcare Plc and chairman of CBAMS Limited.

Prof.  Alan Kingsman, Chief Executive of Oxford BioMedica
commented  'I  am  extremely  pleased  to  welcome  Peter
Johnson  to the Board of Oxford BioMedica. As we progress
with  the development of MetXia-P450, our first candidate
product,  and continue to expand the pipeline of products
in  clinical  development,  Peter's  experience  will  be
invaluable to our future plans.'

Peter Johnson commented  'I look forward to working  with
the  BioMedica team at an exciting stage in the Company's
development. In the past 2 years its progress  in  taking
candidate products to the clinic has been impressive. The
promise  of  gene  therapy  bringing  revolutionary   new
treatments  to  a  broad  range of  medical  applications
appears  now  to  be closer than ever  before.  It  is  a
pleasure  to be joining a Company with such  a  depth  of
innovative and unique technology at the forefront of this
exciting sector.'

Notes to Editors

1.  Oxford  BioMedica:  Established in 1995,  specialises
    in  the  development  and application  of  gene-based
    therapeutics    using    advanced    gene    delivery
    technologies  for  the treatment of  disease  in  the
    areas of Oncology, Viral Infection, Neurobiology  and
    Genetic  Deficiency. Oxford BioMedica plc was floated
    on  the  UK  Alternative  Investment  Market  of  the
    London Stock Exchange in December 1996.

2.   This release is also available on the World Wide Web
    at:
    http://www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk

For further information, please                             
contact:
Oxford BioMedica plc                                        
Professor Alan Kingsman, Chief              Tel: [phone]
Executive                                             783000
City/Financial Enquiries:                                   
Mike Wort, Mexal Communications          Tel: [phone]
                                                        0394
Scientific/Trade Press Enquiries:                           
Emma Johnson/Michaela Mahon, HCC.De     Tel:  [phone]
Facto Group                                             3300