Exhibit 5.1

BioProgress PLC                                                   March 19, 2003
Hostmoor Avenue
March, Cambridgeshire, PE15 OAX
United Kingdom

Re: Registration Statement on Form F-4, Registration No. 333-102045


Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have acted as counsel to BioProgress PLC, a UK corporation (the "Company"),
in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement on
Form F-4 (Registration No. 333-102045) (the "Registration Statement"),
originally filed on 20 December 2002 with the Securities and Exchange Commission
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to the issue of
49,484,681 ordinary shares of L0.01 each (the "Ordinary Shares") of the Company
to the current shareholders of BioProgress Technology International, Inc. on a
one for one basis as part of the Company's proposal to reorganize the Company's
structure by way of a merger of BioProgress Technology International, Inc. and
BioProgess Holdings, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

We have participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement and have
made such legal and factual examination and inquiry as we have deemed advisable
for the rendering of this opinion. In making our examination we have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us
as originals and the conformity to all authentic original documents of all
documents submitted to us as copies.

Based on the foregoing, it is our opinion that the Ordinary Shares when issued
will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

The opinion expressed herein is rendered for your benefit in connection with the
transaction contemplated herein. The opinion expressed herein may not be used or
relied on by any other person, nor may this letter or any copies thereof be
furnished to a third party, filed with a government agency, quoted, cited or
otherwise referred to without our prior written consent, except as noted below.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the use of our name in the prospectus contained in
the sections entitled "Experts", "Enforceability of Civil Liabilities Against
Foreign Persons" and "Risk Factors -- You may not be able to enforce a U.S.
judgment against us or our officers and directors in England."

In giving such consent we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of
persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

Very truly yours,

Dechert