Research Update

Oxford Biomedica PLC
20 February 2002


For immediate release

                                                    20 February 2002

For further information, please contact:

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


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           INTERIM CLINICAL RESULTS - METXIA(R) AND TROVAX(R)


Oxford, United Kingdom - 20 February 2002. Oxford BioMedica plc (LSE:OXB) 
('BioMedica') presented today at the Beeson Gregory Cancer Therapies Conference
interim results from the Company's Phase I/II trials of its cancer products,
MetXia(R) and TroVax(R). The trials were designed primarily to assess safety;
the measurement of efficacy was not part of the trials. However a number of
clinical improvements were observed.

MetXia(R) is a potential treatment for a range of solid tumours. In the MetXia
(R) BC1 trial, mostly in patients with advanced breast cancer, a number of
tumours that were treated with the product reduced in size. In addition, in one
patient where the treated tumour had substantially reduced in size, a cancerous
lesion that had not been treated directly showed marked improvement. This was
associated with indications of an anti-tumour immune response, which suggest
that administration of MetXia(R) to one tumour in a patient may elicit an
anti-tumour immune response that can destroy other tumours in the same patient.
If this proves to be the case, MetXia(R) could be developed for use as a
systemic treatment for cancer, broadening its market potential. The MetXia(R)
trial programme is continuing and now includes additional monitoring of the
immunological status of the patients in order to test this hypothesis.

In October 2001 BioMedica reported initial results from the low dose patient
group in its TroVax(R) trial in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. TroVax
(R) is a therapeutic anti-cancer vaccine that seeks to trigger an immune
response against tumours. In the low dose group, all three of the
immunocompetent patients showed a clear immune response stimulated by TroVax(R).
The Company has now disclosed that two of those three patients showed clinical
improvements. In one patient, there was a clear correlation between increased
immune response to TroVax(R) and a significant reduction in the levels of a
surrogate marker, which is indicative of decreased tumour load. In addition,
from CT scans of this patient, it was apparent that a considerable portion of
the centre of a large inoperable mesenteric tumour had become necrotic. This
result was evident 12-20 weeks after the patient received the first injection of
TroVax(R). In a second patient with a large, actively growing liver metastasis,
a TroVax(R)-induced immune response was coincident with a period of disease
stabilisation.

Commenting on these results BioMedica's Chief Executive, Prof. Alan Kingsman
said 'These interim data are interesting and provide a useful basis for future
trials. However, we are aware that, because of the small size of the trial
groups and the advanced stage of disease amongst the patients, further studies
are required before firm conclusions can be made about the efficacy of both
MetXia(R) and TroVax(R).'


Notes to Editors

1.   Oxford BioMedica plc

Established in 1995, the Company specialises in the application of gene-based
technology to the development of novel therapeutics. Its three principal
activities are in the fields of gene therapy, immunotherapy and genomics, and
its principal therapeutic areas are in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Oxford BioMedica plc was floated on the Alternative Investment Market of the
London Stock Exchange in December 1996, and upgraded to the United Kingdom
Listing Authority Official List in April 2001 following a successful £35.5
million fund-raising.


Oxford BioMedica has operating centres in Oxford, UK and San Diego, USA

Currently Oxford BioMedica has corporate collaborations with Aventis, IDM,
Nycomed Amersham, Valentis, Virbac and Wyeth. BioMedica has two products in
Phase I/II clinical trials: MetXia(R) for late-stage breast cancer, and TroVax
(R) for late-stage colorectal cancer.



2.   MetXia(R) gene therapy for cancer

A common strategy for the treatment of cancer is to administer cytotoxic (or
cell killing) drugs in an attempt to destroy the tumour. Cyclophosphamide is one
of a group of drugs that is taken by the patient in the form of an inactive
prodrug. The prodrug travels through the body to the liver, where enzymes
convert it to the active, cytotoxic drug. This approach affects the whole body
and leads to the familiar adverse side effects of cancer chemotherapy because
the cytotoxic drug destroys normal cells on its way from the liver to the
tumour. In addition, because the activating enzymes are present only in the
liver, high doses of prodrug must be given to achieve therapeutic levels of the
cytotoxic drug at the tumour site. Often the therapeutic effect is compromised
by the toxicity.

Oxford BioMedica's MetXia(R) addresses these problems by delivering the gene
(CYP2B6) directly to the tumour. Once incorporated into the genetic material of
the tumour cells, this gene produces the liver enzyme that converts the
cyclophosphamide prodrug to its active form within the tumour. The aim is to
achieve high concentrations of activated cyclophosphamide locally in the tumour
while minimising circulating levels of the drug. It is anticipated that this
will lead to substantially increased sensitivity of the tumour to the drug and
to an ability to reduce the dose of cyclophosphamide, thereby reducing adverse
side effects.

In a variety of preclinical models, BioMedica demonstrated that delivery of the
human CYP2B6 gene to tumours, using MetXia(R), does indeed increase their
sensitivity to cyclophosphamide and leads to enhanced tumour cell killing. The
mode of action of MetXia(R) does not restrict its use to one particular type of
tumour, and the product is expected to be useful against a range of types of
solid tumour.

In addition, the possibility exists that the induction of localised tumour cell
death at the site of administration by the activated cyclophosphamide might also
induce a systemic anti-tumour immune response leading to the immune destruction
of tumours remote from the injection site of MetXia(R).

The Phase I/II BC1 clinical trial of MetXia(R) in patients with late-stage
breast cancer or melanoma, was conducted at the Churchill hospital in Oxford.
The initial part of the trial was designed to assess safety and to establish
that MetXia(R) results in transfer of the CYP2B6 gene to patients' tumours. In
November 2000 BioMedica reported results from the first part of the trial,
confirming that the primary goals of the trial, namely the confirmation of
safety and gene transfer, had been achieved.

In parallel with the BC1 trial, BioMedica had been developing its manufacturing
technologies for gene therapy products. The primary goal of these developments
was the configuration of a robust process that could satisfy market demand
should the product gain approval in the future. This resulted in a process that
can manufacture MetXia(R) at a 100-fold higher efficiency than the prototype
process used for BC1. The resultant product delivered to the patients' tumour
cells is the same, as is the mode of delivery.

In July 2001 the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee approved a further Phase I/II
clinical trial of MetXia(R) in breast cancer patients, designated BC2, a
follow-up to the successful BC1 trial. BC2 will use the MetXia(R) product made
from the enhanced manufacturing process.. Results from the BC2 trial are
expected in the second half of 2002.


3.   TroVax(R) gene-based vaccine for cancer

TroVax(R) is a gene-based therapeutic vaccine that is designed to stimulate the
patient's immune system to mount a powerful response to recognise and destroy
cancer cells. The immune system plays a key role in fighting infections and
disease. However with cancer, the patient's immune system often fails to react
to the existence of a tumour and as a result an effective immune response is not
triggered.

The product is based on a gene that encodes a protein, OBA1, that exists on the
surface of tumour cells and not on normal cells - such proteins are known as
Tumour Associated Antigens (TAAs). When the OBA1 gene is expressed by Oxford
BioMedica's highly engineered virus-based delivery system, it induces an
anti-tumour immune response. OBA1 is present on a wide range of tumours.
Although the first clinical trials of TroVax(R) have been conducted in
colorectal cancer patients, TroVax(R) is also expected to be applicable to many
other solid tumours.

In preclinical model systems the results were very striking, with TroVax(R)
breaking immune tolerance to tumours and protecting against further tumour
growth. This first Phase I/II clinical trial of TroVax(R), which started in
January 2001, confirms that TroVax(R) also causes immune responses against OBA1
to be raised in cancer patients.

The Phase I/II TroVax(R) clinical trial comprises 12 patients at the Dukes D
stage of colorectal cancer. The patients are divided into low, medium and high
dose groups. The low and medium dose groups have now been completed.

In all patients in the low and medium dose groups TroVax(R) was tolerated well
with no adverse effects. In three of the low dose patients there were anti-OBA1
immune responses. The fourth patient in this group was unable to mount a
response to any antigen tested, for reasons unrelated to the trial. This is not
unusual in patients with advanced cancer that have previously received other
forms of therapy. This means that in all of the patients within this low-dose
group who were immunocompetent, an anti-OBA1 response was seen.


4.   World Wide Web

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





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