GSK Lentivector Licence

Oxford Biomedica PLC
21 December 2006


For immediate release                                          21 DECEMBER 2006




   Oxford BioMedica AND SIGMA-ALDRICH ISSUE JOINT LICENCE FOR LENTIVECTOR(R)
                         TECHNOLOGY TO GLAXOSMITHKLINE

Oxford, UK - 21 December 2006: Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB), a leading gene
therapy company, and Sigma-Aldrich, a leading $1.7 billion life science and high
technology company, today announced that they have signed a joint licence
agreement for the LentiVector technology with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which
provides GSK with access to the technology for research activities.
Sigma-Aldrich is Oxford BioMedica's strategic partner and exclusive licensee in
the commercialisation of the LentiVector technology for research use. Financial
details were not disclosed.



Oxford BioMedica's lentivirus-based gene delivery technology, known as
LentiVector, is one of the most powerful technologies for the delivery of genes
to a wide range of cell and tissue types. The LentiVector technology has
applications both in therapeutic products and as a drug discovery tool for
target validation and the creation of targeted disease models. Oxford BioMedica
has a comprehensive portfolio of US and European patents and applications that
cover the technology. The Company has an active licensing programme providing
access to its LentiVector technology on a non-exclusive basis primarily.
Licensees include Biogen Idec, Merck & Co and Pfizer.



Commenting on the news Oxford BioMedica's Senior Vice President Commercial
Development, Peter Nolan, said: 'We are delighted to have secured another
licensee for the LentiVector gene delivery technology and we welcome
GlaxoSmithKline to our portfolio of users. The industry is adopting our
technology as the gold standard for various applications in research and drug
discovery. With our strategic partner, Sigma-Aldrich, we are well positioned for
further penetration of the research field with our technology.'



Shaf Yousaf, President of the Sigma-Aldrich Research Biotechnology business unit
said: 'This is the first joint licensing agreement with Oxford BioMedica and we
expect this to be a model for other such agreements under our strategic
alliance. As market leader in this field, we believe Oxford BioMedica's
LentiVector technology has a substantial commercial opportunity as a research
tool.'



-Ends-


For further information, please contact:
Oxford BioMedica plc:

Professor Alan Kingsman, Chief Executive                Tel: [phone]
City/Financial Enquiries:

Lisa Baderoon/ Mark Court/ Mary-Jane Johnson Buchanan   Tel: [phone]
Communications
Scientific/Trade Press Enquiries:

Gemma Bradley/ Holly Griffiths/ Katja Stout             Tel: [phone]

Northbank Communications







Notes to editors



1. Oxford BioMedica

Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB) is a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the
development of novel gene-based therapeutics with a focus on oncology and
neurotherapy. The Company was established in 1995 as a spin out from Oxford
University, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.



Oxford BioMedica has core expertise in gene delivery, as well as in-house
clinical, regulatory and manufacturing know-how. In oncology, the pipeline
includes two clinical candidates and a preclinical targeted antibody therapy,
which is being developed in collaboration with Wyeth. The Company has started
Phase III development of its lead cancer immunotherapy product, TroVax, in renal
cancer and multiple Phase II trials in various cancer settings are ongoing or
planned. In neurotherapy, the Company's lead product, ProSavin, is expected to
enter clinical trials in Parkinson's disease in 2007. The preclinical pipeline
includes gene-based products for vision loss, motor neuron disease and nerve
repair.



The Company is underpinned by over 80 patent families, which represent one of
the broadest patent estates in the field. The Company has a staff of
approximately 70 split between its main facilities in Oxford and its wholly
owned subsidiary, BioMedica Inc, in San Diego, California. Oxford BioMedica has
corporate collaborations with Wyeth, Intervet, Sigma-Aldrich, Viragen, MolMed,
Virxsys and Kiadis; and has licensed technology to a number of companies
including Merck & Co, Biogen Idec and Pfizer.



Further information is available at www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk



2. LentiVector technology

Oxford BioMedica's LentiVector gene delivery technology, based on lentiviruses,
is arguably the most potent system currently available for treating a range of
diseases, particularly those of the central nervous system. Oxford BioMedica has
shown that its lentiviral vectors are able to deliver genes with high efficiency
to a variety of both dividing and non-dividing cells, including neurons in the
brain.



Oxford BioMedica has three issued US patents and a European patent for its
LentiVector technology. These include broad composition of matter claims and
methods of production claims for lentiviral vector gene delivery systems of both
human and non-human origin. The patents also cover derivatives of lentiviral
vector systems that, unlike many versions of lentiviral vectors, have real
clinical utility because of their safety.



The Company has established a neurotherapy pipeline of product candidates based
on its LentiVector technology, which includes ProSavin(R) for Parkinson's
disease, RetinoStat(R) for retinopathy, MoNudin(R) for motor neuron disease,
SMN1-G for spinal muscular atrophy and Innurex(R) for nerve repair.



3. Sigma-Aldrich

Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Its
biochemical and organic chemical products and kits are used in scientific and
genomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of
disease and as key components in pharmaceutical and other high technology
manufacturing. The Company has customers in life science companies, university
and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one million
scientists and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 35
countries and has 7,200 employees providing excellent service worldwide.
Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating Customer Success through Leadership
in Life Science, High Technology and Service. For more information about
Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its award-winning website at www.sigma-aldrich.com.



4. GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline is one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and
healthcare companies and is committed to improving the quality of human life by
enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For more information,
visit GlaxoSmithKline on the World Wide Web at www.gsk.com.




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange