SAR - BRITISH BIOTECH PLC

     
BW20030729002027  20030729T105657Z UTC


( BW)(AMVESCAP-PLC)(AVZ) SAR - BRITISH BIOTECH PLC

    Business Editors
    UK REGULATORY NEWS

    LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 29, 2003--

FORM SAR 3

Lodge with Company Announcements Office and the Panel. A copy must
also be sent to the company the shares of which are acquired.

Date of disclosure 29 JULY 2003

DISCLOSURE UNDER RULE 3 OF THE RULES GOVERNING SUBSTANTIAL
ACQUISITIONS OF SHARES ("SARs")

Date of acquisition  28 JULY 2003

Acquisition in ......... BRITISH BIOTECH PLC ....... (name of company)

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

                       ORDINARY 5P                            100,000                                 -

(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)

           14,759,485 (22.11%)                                   -                   14,759,485 (22.11%)

(3)        Party making disclosure................ AMVESCAP PLC .................

(4)        (a)    Name of person acquiring shares or rights over shares  DISCRETIONARY
                                                           MANAGED CLIENTS OF AMVESCAP
                  and, if different, beneficial owner ...............................

           (b)    Names of any other persons acting by
                  agreement or understanding (see SAR 5)..............................


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

(Also print name of signatory)............ROBERT CLYDE.......................

Telephone and extension number........... 020 7065 3720......................

Note. Under SAR 5, the holdings of and acquisitions by persons acting
by agreement or understanding must be aggregated and treated as a
holding of or acquisition by one person. Note 3 on SAR 5 requires
persons who must aggregate holdings to disclose certain disposals.


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, Monitoring Section. Tel. No: 020 7638 0129.
Email:[e-mail]

   Short Name: Amvescap PLC
   Category Code: SAD
   Sequence Number: 00007712
   Time of Receipt (offset from UTC): 20030729T115321+0100

    --30--MH/uk*

    CONTACT: Amvescap PLC             

    KEYWORD: UNITED KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL EUROPE
    INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BANKING HUMAN RESOURCES 
    SOURCE: Amvescap PLC

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