XTLbio ADVANCES NEW DRUG CANDIDATE TO TREAT CHRONIC HCV

    XTLbio ADVANCES NEW DRUG CANDIDATE TO TREAT CHRONIC HCV

Rehovot, Israel, 4 June 2003 - XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. (XTLbio) announced
today pre-clinical progress with HepeX(tm)-C SM1, a small-molecule drug candidate
developed to inhibit replication of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The molecule,
one of a series of compounds licensed exclusively to XTLbio, has recently shown
good toxicity profiles in preliminary testing, thus advancing it to the next
level of pre-clinical development. As previously announced, this family of HCV
polymerase inhibitors exhibited biological activity using XTLbio's proprietary
HCV in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical drug validation systems.

"We are pleased with the preliminary toxicity profile of HepeX-C SM1, and feel
confident in advancing the compound into full pre-clinical development," stated
Shlomo Dagan, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of XTLbio. "HepeX-C SM1 is being
developed to treat chronic HCV patients, as opposed to HepeX-C, our Phase 2
fully human monoclonal antibody product, which targets HCV-related liver
transplant patients."

About XTLbio

XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. (XTLbio) is the drug development company committed
to conquering hepatitis C in our time. XTLbio's HepeX(tm) product line - now in
clinical trials - has the potential to introduce revolutionary therapies for
viral hepatitis, including prevention of re-infection in transplanted livers,
the Company's primary focus, and a longer-term cocktail approach in treating
chronic illness. XTLbio believes its primary competitive advantage lies in its
patented Trimera(tm) technology, which enables the development of fully human
monoclonal antibodies and models of human disease for pre-clinical drug
validation. Established in 1993, XTLbio became a public company in 2000 with
shares traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol XTL.

About hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a major public health concern. The World Health Organization
estimates that 170 million people worldwide are chronic carriers of the
hepatitis C virus (HCV) and that 3 to 4 million people are newly infected each
year. It is expected that 25 to 35% of these chronic patients will develop
progressive liver disease including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Hepatitis C is
the single leading cause of liver transplantation. The US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention estimate that approximately 4 million people in the
United States (almost 2% of the population) have been infected with HCV, of
whom, approximately 3 million are chronically ill. Hepatitis C is the cause of
an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 deaths annually in the US.

About HCV-related liver transplant prophylaxis

Approximately 5% of chronic HCV patients will develop end-stage liver disease,
and ultimately may require liver transplantation. Today, there is a major
problem associated with HCV-related liver transplantation. Although the
infected liver - the major source of viral replication - has been removed,
free-floating virus in the patient's serum re-infects the healthy transplanted
liver in a matter of weeks. Disease progression in re-infected patients is
several times faster and, in many cases, a re-transplant becomes necessary. At
present, there is no available solution to this problem. The Company estimates
worldwide annual sales potential for HCV liver transplant prophylaxis at US$400
million.

About the treatment of chronic hepatitis C

The existing first-line chronic HCV therapy is often associated with a 50-60%
chance of success but is limited by severe side effects, including anaemia,
fatigue, hair loss and depression. Due to the relatively limited efficacy and
toxicity of this treatment, chronic HCV is still considered an unmet medical
need. Financial analysts estimate that worldwide annual sales for all products
treating chronic hepatitis C could reach US$4 billion in 2004.

HepeX(tm), Trimera(tm), XTL(tm) and XTLbio(tm) are trademarks of XTL Biopharmaceuticals
Ltd.

Contacts:

XTLbio

Dr. Martin Becker, President and CEO, Tel: [phone]

Financial Dynamics

David Yates, Sarah MacLeod, Tel: [phone]



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