Grant Awarded

Oxford Biomedica PLC
11 February 2003

11 February 2003                                                     2003/OB/03



                    OXFORD BIOMEDICA AWARDED €900,000 GRANT


             Government support for cancer immunotherapy programmes


Oxford, United Kingdom 11 February 2003 - Oxford BioMedica announced today that
it had been awarded a grant of more than €900,000 to support its immunotherapy
programme. The award was made by the UK Department of Trade & Industry under the
pan-European Eureka initiative. Oxford BioMedica received the award following
its recently announced collaboration with Intervet S.A. to develop TroVax-VET(R)
for the treatment of cancer in companion animals.



The grant is to support Oxford BioMedica's development of a broad range of
applications for 5T4, its proprietary tumour-associated antigen. 5T4 is the
active immunogenic component of the Company's lead cancer product TroVax(R),
which is entering a number of Phase II clinical trials this year. In addition,
an antibody against 5T4 is the subject of Oxford BioMedica's immunotoxin
collaboration with Wyeth, a deal worth $24 million in upfront and milestone
payments.



EUREKA is a pan-European network for market-oriented, industrial R&D.  EUREKA
supports the competitiveness of European companies through international
collaboration, in creating links and networks of innovation. The objective is to
bring high quality research and development efforts to the market and to use the
multiplying effects of co-operation. The aim is to advance and improve the
quality of life.



Commenting on the award of this grant, Oxford BioMedica's CEO, Professor Alan
Kingsman said:

'It is particularly pleasing to receive a substantial grant from the DTI
following substantial peer review of our technology and product rationale. This
provides a very strong external endorsement of the technical and commercial
potential of BioMedica's immunotherapy programme.'



                                     -Ends-


For further information, please contact:

Oxford BioMedica plc
Professor Alan Kingsman, Chief Executive                Tel: [phone]

City/Financial Enquiries:
Mike Wort, James Chandler: Beattie Financial            Tel: [phone]

Scientific/Trade Press Enquiries:
Sue Charles, Katja Stout: Northbank Communications      Tel: [phone]


Notes to Editors



1.                   Oxford BioMedica plc


Established in 1995 as a spin out from Oxford University, Oxford BioMedica plc
specialises in the development of novel gene-based therapeutics for the
treatment of cancer, neuro-degenerative disease and other disorders with major
unmet clinical needs. The development pipeline includes two novel anti-cancer
products in clinical trials and a gene therapy treatment for Parkinson's
disease, which is in late preclinical studies. This is underpinned by a broad
research pipeline and over 70 patent families, about quarter of which are
issued.



Oxford BioMedica's products use genes as the mediators of a therapeutic effect
and/or immune response. The Company's gene therapy products deliver therapeutic
molecules in vivo whilst its gene-based immunotherapy products deliver genes
that recruit the patient's immune system to mediate a therapeutic effect. The
genes are delivered by the Company's highly engineered viruses or cells.



BioMedica's lead product TroVax(R) is an anti-cancer therapeutic vaccine
expected to be useful against a broad range of tumour types. It is entering
Phase II trials in a number of indications including colorectal and renal
cancer, and is expected to be ready for Phase III trials at the end of 2003. The
Company's second cancer product, MetXia(R), is completing Phase I/II studies in
breast cancer.



Oxford BioMedica is headquartered in Oxford, UK and has a wholly-owned
subsidiary in San Diego, USA. BioMedica has corporate collaborations with Wyeth,
IDM, Intervet, Kiadis, Amersham and Arius Research.



Oxford BioMedica plc was floated on the Alternative Investment Market of the
London Stock Exchange in December 1996, and was promoted to the United Kingdom
Listing Authority Official List in April 2001 following a successful £35.5
million fund-raising.



Further information is available on the World Wide Web at http://
www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk




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