Company Oxford Glycosciences PLC
                  TIDM OGS
                  Headline Celltech announcement
                  Released 08:05 1 Apr 2003
                  Number 4635J


01 April 2003

Not for release, publication or distribution in, into or from Australia,
Canada or Japan

OXFORD GLYCOSCIENCES PLC ("OGS" or the "Company")

RESPONSE TO CELLTECH ANNOUNCEMENT

OGS notes today's announcement by Celltech Group plc ("Celltech") relating
to the level of acceptances received for the Celltech offer.

In particular, OGS notes that Celltech received acceptances in respect of
a total of 2,161,947 OGS shares (including those represented by OGS ADSs),
which together with the 5,892,971 OGS shares previously purchased by
Celltech represents approximately 14.4 per cent. of the issued share
capital of OGS. In addition, OGS notes that the Celltech offer has been
extended and will remain open for acceptance until 3.00 p.m. (London
time), 10.00 a.m. (New York time) on Tuesday, 15 April 2003.

Commenting, David Ebsworth PhD, CEO of OGS said "We are pleased that our
shareholders have followed the Board's* advice and continue to support
our strategy of seeking higher offers for the Company."

- -Ends-

For further information please contact:

      Oxford GlycoSciences Plc
      +44 (0) 1235 208 000
      David Ebsworth, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer

      Goldman Sachs International
      +44 (0) 20 7774 1000
      Michael Hill
      Basil Geoghegan
      Phil Raper (Corporate Broking)

      Financial Dynamics
      UK Media and Investors
      +44 (0) 20 7831 3113
      Tim Spratt
      Melanie Toyne-Sewell

      US Media and Investors
      +1 212 850 5626
      Leslie Wolf-Creutzfeldt
      Deborah Ardern Jones



Goldman Sachs International is acting for OGS and for no-one else in
connection with this announcement and will not be responsible to any
other person for providing the protections afforded to clients of
Goldman Sachs International or for providing advice in relation to the
offer from Celltech, the merger with Cambridge Antibody Technology
Group plc ("CAT") or the contents of this announcement.

The directors of OGS accept responsibility for the information contained
in this announcement.  To the best of the knowledge and belief of the
directors of OGS (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such
is the case), the information contained in this announcement is in
accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect
the import of such information.*

*Dr Donald Drakeman, a director of OGS, is also the Chief Executive
Officer of Medarex Inc, a competitor of CAT, and therefore did not
participate in decisions of the OGS Board relating to the merger with
CAT.  Given this conflict, he has also not participated and does not
propose to participate in discussions relating to any competing offer
for OGS.  Accordingly, Dr Drakeman has abstained from OGS Board
discussions of, and advice to OGS shareholders relating to, the merger
with CAT and the offer from Celltech and is not taking responsibility
for the views or advice of the Board on the merger with CAT or the offer
from Celltech.

Shareholders can obtain a free copy of this and any other documents
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission at the SEC's website
(www.sec.gov).

This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or invitation to
purchase any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in
any jurisdiction.
The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain
jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such
jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published or
distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions.

END