Cambridge Discovery Chemistry Limited

CAMBRIDGE COMBINATORIAL EXTENDS AGRO DEAL WITH ROHM AND HAAS COMPANY

Cambridge, UK … Cambridge Combinatorial Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oxford Molecular Group plc (London Stock Exchange: OMG), today announced the extension of its agreement with Rohm and Haas Company for the production of lead discovery libraries for a number of agrochemical targets.

The full financial details were not disclosed but the project involves research fees, a provision for milestone payments on compounds which are selected for further development, and royalties on products which reach the market.

The original agreement, signed in May 1998, was focused on the generation of high-purity single compound libraries and the investigation and technology transfer of novel solid phase, solution and linker approaches to library production.

Dr Allan Marchington, Chief Executive of Cambridge Combinatorial, said, "We are, of course, delighted by Rohm and Haas' decision to extend this agreement. We feel it can be seen as a vote of confidence both in Cambridge Combinatorial and in the application of our technologies within the agrochemical field."

"We are anxious to provide our customers and the marketplace with new technologies that support their needs," says Jim Clovis, Research Director for Rohm and Haas's Agricultural Chemicals business. "We have been very pleased with the progress of our collaboration and are confident the co-operation will reduce the time needed to discover and introduce new products."

For further information, please contact:
Cambridge Combinatorial
David T Philips, Vice-President, Business Development
Tel: +44 1223 722400

HCC·De Facto Group plc
Michaela Mahon/Chris Gardner, HCC·De Facto Group plc
Tel: +44 171 496 3300

Rohm and Haas Company
Shari Samuels
Tel :+001 215-592-3560

Notes to editors

Cambridge Combinatorial Limited
Cambridge Combinatorial Limited provides world-class, innovative chemistry services to accelerate discovery and process research, servicing the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and biotechnology industries. The company was founded by Professors Steve Ley and Alan Fersht, of Cambridge University, and Drs Allan Marchington and Ryszard Kobylecki, both ex Pfizer medicinal chemists. Cambridge Combinatorial is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oxford Molecular Group (plc). OMG originally provided a Ł2 million investment in Cambridge Combinatorial and acquired the remainder of the Company in October 1998.

Rohm and Haas Company
Rohm and Haas is a specialty chemical company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA). Its products are those "invisible" ingredients that quietly improve the quality of every day life. The company's expertise in agricultural chemicals, acrylic polymer design, electronic materials and other technologies make it one of the world's premier suppliers of specialty chemicals. In addition to its renowned portfolio of agricultural products, Rohm and Haas produces essential materials for laundry detergents, house paints, industrial coatings, food packaging, computer equipment, cellular phones, window frames, diapers, refined sugar, construction materials and magazines.

Oxford Molecular
Oxford Molecular is a worldwide provider of information technology and drug discovery research services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and chemical industries. Headquartered in Oxford, England, the company also has operations in eight US cities as well as sales offices and agents around the world. The company supplies desktop and enterprise-wide software solutions that support research across the entire discovery process, including target identification, lead identification and optimization, molecular modeling and physico-chemical property prediction. Oxford Molecular's drug discovery research services offer an integrated, highly cost-effective solution for accelerating drug discovery utilizing teams of experienced pharmaceutical researchers who use state-of-the-art technologies to develop novel targets and advanced screening capabilities, design novel active compounds and synthesize high quality compounds using combinatorial chemistry.