Cambridge Antibody - Re MCA Approval

RNS No 9633f
CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY GROUP PLC
26th May 1998


For Further information contact:

Cambridge Antibody Technology Group Plc
Dr David Chiswell, Chief Executive Officer       Tel: [phone]
John Aston, Finance Director

City/Financial Enquiries
HCC.De Facto Financial, Nicola How               Tel: [phone]

Trade/Scientific Press Enquiries
HCC.De Facto Cambridge, Andrew Worsfold          Tel: [phone]

         CAT'S MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY APPROVED TO ENTER CLINICAL TRIALS          
                             FOR GLAUCOMA SURGERY                             
                    
         Medicines Control Agency approves human anti-TGFb2 antibody          
                   to enter UK Phase I/IIa clinical trials                    

Melbourn, UK... Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) announced today that it
has obtained regulatory approval from the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) to
begin UK Phase I/IIa clinical trials with its human anti-TGFb2 monoclonal
antibody in patients undergoing glaucoma filtration surgery. 

The anti-TGFb2 monoclonal antibody is both potent and specific in neutralising
TGFb2, the cytokine molecule believed to be responsible for fibrosis or
scarring in and around the eye following surgery for the treatment of
glaucoma.  Scarring is the main cause of failure of such surgery.  CAT
estimates that at least 250,000 patients could benefit from this treatment in
the USA and Western Europe alone.

The trials will initially involve 24 patients and will be carried out at two
major ophthalmology centres in the UK. 

Pre clinical results with this antibody were presented earlier this month at
ARVO '98 (The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology), the
world's largest eye research meeting.  These results showed potent activity
against scarring after experimental glaucoma surgery, and in a model for
proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), for which Phase I/IIa trials have
already begun.               

Peng Khaw, Consultant Glaucoma Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital and Director
of the Wound Healing Unit at the Institute of Ophthalmology in London added,
"We have already conducted a series of experiments in our laboratories with
this antibody, all with encouraging results.  We are optimistic for its
prospects in patients undergoing glaucoma surgery - the product is addressing
a real medical need."
                                                                              
Notes to Editors:

1. CAT is a UK biotechnology company focussed on engineering advanced human
monoclonal antibodies for drug discovery and drug development.

Based on the Melbourn Science Park, 10 miles south of Cambridge, England, CAT
currently employs over 130 people. In March 1997, CAT completed its initial
public offering and listed on the London Stock Exchange raising approximately
#41 million.

CAT has a world-leading platform technology for rapidly isolating human
monoclonal antibodies and its CAT  phage-display library currently
incorporates more than 67 billion distinct antibodies.  This library forms the
basis for the company's strategy to develop a broad-range of antibody-based
therapeutics and for discovering new drug leads using functional genomics.

The first two antibody products developed by CAT started clinical trials in
1997, in inflammation and fibrosis. CAT plans to develop a portfolio of
clinical development programmes with the objective of initiating three to four
clinical programmes per year from the year 2000.

CAT has a number of license and collaborative agreements in place with 
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.  Currently, these include: ICOS,
Genentech, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, BASF/Pharma,  Genetics Institute/BASF Pharma,
Mitsubishi Chemical and ObeSys (with BTG). 

2. Glaucoma is characterised by raised intra-ocular pressure which jeopardises
eyesight.  It is estimated to affect six million people in North America and
Western Europe.  A conservative estimate is that at least 250,000 glaucoma
filtration operations per year in the US and Western Europe could benefit from
this antibody since fibrosis or scarring is the main cause of failure of
surgery.

3. CAT's  anti-TGFb2 monoclonal antibody for the prevention of PVR entered
clinical trials in November 1997.  PVR is characterised by the formation of
fibrous tissue in, and in front of, the retina following trauma, retinal
detachment or in the late stages of diabetic retinopathy.

END


MSCSELSWMUAUFLI