SAR - Aortech Inter PLC

3i Group PLC
23 October 2000
                                                      FORM SAR 5


                                       Date of disclosure..23.10.00........

             DISCLOSURE UNDER NOTE 3 OF RULE 5 OF THE RULES GOVERNING
                   SUBSTANTIAL ACQUISITIONS OF SHARES ('SARs')

                 
Date of sale.....20.10.00.........................................

Sale of.....AORTECH INTERNATIONAL PLC..................(name of company)


(1) Class of voting shares    Number of shares/rights   If rights over shares
    (eg ordinary shares)      over shares sold          sold, as opposed
                                                        to the shares
                                                        themselves, specify
                                                        nature of rights

    ...ORDS 25p......      ...80,000..shares           N/A...........
                              ...N/A..........rights


(2) Resultant total holding   Resultant total holding   Total percentage
    of voting shares (and %   of rights over shares
    of total voting shares    (and % of total voting
    in issue)                 shares in issue)

    ..4,751,678 (15.76 %)   ...............(    %)    .15.76%..(    %)


(3) Party making disclosure......3i GROUP PLC..................  

(4)  (a)  Name of person selling shares or rights over shares 3i GROUP PLC
          and, if different, beneficial owner............................... 

     (b)  Names of any other persons acting by
          agreement or understanding (see SAR 5).....3i BIOSCIENCE INVESTMENT..
                                                           TRUST PLC

Signed, for and on behalf of the party named in (3) above...................

(Also print name of signatory)......J DAVIES -.AUTHORISED SIGNATORY

Telephone and extension number......020 7928 3131.......................


For full details of the SARs disclosure requirements, see Rules 3 and 5 of the
SARs.  If in doubt, contact the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, 
Tel. No: 020 7382 9026.