RNS Number:4434X
Cambridge Antibody Tech Group PLC
25 January 2006


06/CAT/01

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

15.00 GMT Wednesday 25 January 2006


For further information contact:
Cambridge Antibody Technology                      Weber Shandwick Square Mile (Europe)
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 471 471                          Tel: +44 (0) 20 7067 0700
Peter Chambre, Chief Executive Officer             Kevin Smith
John Aston, Chief Financial Officer                Yvonne Alexander
Rowena Gardner, Director of Corporate              Rachel Taylor
Communications
                                                   BMC Communications/The Trout Group (USA)
                                                   Tel: 001 212 477 9007
                                                   Brad Miles, ext 17 (media)
                                                   Brandon Lewis, ext 15 (investors)


CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY REPORTS HUMIRA(R) SALES EXCEED $1 BILLION IN
ANNUAL SALES


Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) (LSE: CAT; NASDAQ: CATG)
acknowledges todays announcement by Abbott Laboratories that HUMIRA(R) worldwide
sales for 2005 were $1.4 billion, exceeding Abbotts prior forecast of more than
$1.3 billion and making it the first product from the UK biotechnology industry
to achieve blockbuster status. Abbott stated that it expects worldwide sales of
HUMIRA in 2006 of more than $1.9 billion.


HUMIRA was isolated and optimised by CAT in collaboration with and Abbott.
Abbott owns exclusive worldwide rights to HUMIRA and CAT receives royalty
payments based on HUMIRA sales at the rate of 2.688%.


Peter Chambre, CATs Chief Executive Officer commented: This is a major milestone
for CAT. HUMIRA is an important product candidate for CAT and we are delighted
that it has reached blockbuster status. The success of HUMIRA is vital to CATs
progress as a product-based biopharmaceutical business and we look forward to
further success in 2006 as Abbott continues to expand the range of approved
indications.



Notes to Editors:

Blockbuster Status

          Defined as having annual sales in excess of $1 billion.

CAT

Business:

CAT is a biopharmaceutical company, aiming to bring improvements to seriously
ill patients lives and thereby create outstanding returns for shareholders. CAT
seeks to develop products independently and in collaboration with partners,
using its capabilities and technologies in the discovery and development of new
and innovative antibody medicines in selected therapeutic areas. CAT also seeks
to licence its technologies to enable others to develop new medicines.


Products:


HUMIRA(R), licensed to Abbott, is the first CAT-derived antibody to be approved
for marketing. It was isolated and optimised in collaboration with Abbott and
has been approved for marketing as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in
57 countries, and for psoriatic arthritis and early RA in some European
countries and the US.


There are six further CAT-derived antibodies licensed to partners at various
stages of clinical development: ABT-874 (Abbott), LymphoStat-B(TM), HGS-ETR1,
HGS-ETR2, ABthrax(TM) (all Human Genome Sciences (HGSI)) and MYO-029 (Wyeth).
CAT has also licensed its proprietary technologies and patents to several
companies. CATs licensees include Amgen, Chugai, Dyax, Genzyme, HGSI, Merck &
Co, Micromet, Pfizer and Wyeth, and three antibody drug candidates are in
clinical development at patent licensees.


There are three further human therapeutic product candidates in clinical
development: CAT-354 and CAT-3888, proprietary CAT products, and GC-1008, in
collaboration with Genzyme.


Collaborations:


CAT has a broad collaboration with Genzyme for the development and
commercialisation of antibodies directed against TGF beta, a family of proteins
associated with fibrosis and scarring, and with potential application in the
treatment of some cancers.


CAT has a major strategic alliance with AstraZeneca to discover and develop
human antibody therapeutics, principally in inflammatory disorders. This
provides CAT with the opportunity to build a substantial pipeline of antibody
therapeutics with a significant pharmaceutical partner.


CAT has a co-development collaboration with Amrad against GM-CSF Receptor, a
potential drug target in the development of RA.


Science:


CAT has an advanced proprietary technology for rapidly isolating human
monoclonal antibodies using Phage Display and Ribosome Display systems. CAT has
extensive phage antibody libraries, currently incorporating more than 100
billion distinct antibodies, which form the basis for the Companys strategy to
develop a portfolio of antibody-based drugs.


Business Background:


CAT is based near Cambridge, UK, with a new site in Palo Alto, USA. CAT
currently employs around 290 people.


CAT is listed on the London Stock Exchange (CAT) and on NASDAQ (CATG).


More information can be found at www.cambridgeantibody.com


Application of the Safe Harbor of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995: This press release contains statements about Cambridge Antibody
Technology Group plc ("CAT") that are forward looking statements. All statements
other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may be
forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. These forward looking statements are based on numerous
assumptions regarding the companys present and future business strategies and
the environment in which the company will operate in the future. Certain factors
that could cause the companys actual results, performance or achievements to
differ materially from those in the forward looking statements include: market
conditions, CATs ability to enter into and maintain collaborative arrangements,
success of product candidates in clinical trials, regulatory developments and
competition. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on the forward
looking statements contained in this press release. These statements speak only
as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to update
or revise the statements.






                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

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