Successful patent application

Oxford Biomedica PLC
27 March 2001


For immediate release

                                                                     2001/OB/09

                                                                  27 March 2001
For further information, please contact:

Oxford BioMedica plc

Professor Alan Kingsman, Chief Executive               Tel: [phone]

City/Financial Enquiries:

David Simonson/Melanie Toyne Sewell                    

Merlin Financial Communications                        Tel: [phone]

Scientific/Trade Press Enquiries:                      

Chris Gardner, HCC De Facto Group                      Tel: [phone]



                    OXFORD BIOMEDICA OBTAINS GENE THERAPY

                              PATENT IN THE USA

Oxford, England - 27 March 2001. Oxford BioMedica announced today that it had
received a Notice of Allowance from the US Patent Office for a patent covering
broad aspects of lentiviral vectors and their use in gene therapy, target
validation, and gene discovery.

This technology forms an important part of Oxford BioMedica's Lentivector(R)
intellectual property that is protected by a raft of patent and patent
applications. One of the aspects of this technology covers a novel genetic
switch which improves and/or regulates how specific genes are expressed in a
cell from a lentiviral vector. These vectors are particularly useful in Oxford
BioMedica's expanding neurobiology programmes.

Commenting on the news, Oxford BioMedica's Chief Executive, Professor Alan
Kingsman said:

'We are delighted that the US patent office has granted this patent. We
already have a substantial portfolio of patents in the area of gene therapy
vector design and use, since it is a key area of our technology and it is
important for us to protect the intellectual property of the Company. With
some of the proceeds from the recent fundraising, our intentions are to
continue to extend the intellectual property portfolio of the Company.'

                                    -Ends-

Notes to Editors


 1. Oxford BioMedica plc


    Established in 1995, the Company 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 and has recently announced its proposed move to
    the Official List of the London Stock Exchange.

2. Lentivirus vector systems


    In gene therapy, the aim is to deliver a gene and its necessary regulatory
    elements (the gene construct) to the cell surface, using a vector to
    mediate the transfer across the cell membrane and, in some cases, into the
    nucleus. A new and potentially very powerful vector system is based on
    lentiviruses, which have similar features to retroviruses in the ease of
    manipulation, predictable integration and reliable gene expression and
    regulation. However, their main advantage over retroviruses is the ability
    to function in non-dividing cells or cells that are dividing slowly - a
    feature of many clinically important tissues

 3. Types of lentiviruses


    Lentivirus vectors are constructed from two sources:

      + primate viruses e.g. human or simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV or
        SIV)
      + non-primate viruses e.g. feline and bovine immunodeficiency viruses
        (FIV and BIV), and one of the most simple, equine infective anaemia
        virus (EIAV)

4. Worldwide web


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

5. Section 57


    N M Rothschild & Sons Limited, which is regulated in the UK by The
    Securities and Futures Authority Limited, has approved the contents of
    this document for the purposes of Section 57 of the Financial Services Act
    1986.