1
                        Consent of Independent Auditors



The Board of Directors of
Guilford Pharmaceuticals Inc.:


We consent to incorporation by reference in the registration statements (No.
333-56092, No. 333-30814, No. 333-72319, No. 333-17833) on Form S-8 of Guilford
Pharmaceuticals Inc. of our report dated February 9, 2001, relating to the
consolidated balance sheets of Guilford Pharmaceuticals Inc. and subsidiaries
(the "Company") as of December 31, 2000 and 1999, and the related consolidated
statements of operations, changes in stockholders' equity and cash flows for
each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2000, and the
related financial statement schedule, which report appears in the December 31,
2000 annual report on Form 10-K of Guilford Pharmaceuticals Inc. Our report
refers to a change in the Company's revenue recognition policy for
non-refundable upfront fees in 2000.



/s/ KPMG LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 26, 2001