XTLbio announces appointment of Non-Executive Director

Rehovot, Israel, 20 October 2003: XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. (LSE:XTL) is
pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Hadar Ron as a non-Executive
director with immediate effect.

Dr. Hadar Ron is the Managing Director of Israel Healthcare Ventures (IHCV) in
Israel, a venture capital fund focused on investing in Israeli and Israeli
related companies in the fields of medical devices, biotechnology,
pharmaceuticals, and medical-related IT. Dr. Ron brings to XTLbio medical,
legal and management experience gained in senior positions in a range of
insurances companies, law firms, and medical and educational institutions. Her
legal and management expertise includes venture capital consulting, medical
malpractice, general and medical insurance, and legal practice.

Dr. Ron holds MD and LLB degrees from Tel Aviv University and has studied in
advanced courses at Boston University School of Medicine and at the School of
Business Administration at Tel Aviv University. Dr. Ron is currently a director
of a number of portfolio companies of IHCV.

Commenting on the appointment, Dr Geoffrey Vernon, Chairman of XTLbio, said: 
"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Hadar Ron as a non-Executive Director of
XTLbio. I and the team at XTLbio look forward to Dr. Ron's contribution to make
the Company a success."

IHCV is a shareholder of XTLbio with 15,666,870 shares representing 13.99% of
the Company.

There are no disclosures required under paragraph 6.F.2. (b)-(g).

Contacts:

XTLbio

Dr. Martin Becker, President and CEO, Tel: +972-8-930-4440

Financial Dynamics

David Yates, Sarah MacLeod, Tel: +44 (0) 20 7831 3113

About XTLbio

XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. (XTLbio) is a biopharmaceutical company developing
drugs against hepatitis. XTLbio's HepeX(tm) product line - now in clinical trials
- has the potential to introduce revolutionary therapies for viral hepatitis,
including prevention of re-infection in transplanted livers, the Company's
primary focus, and a longer-term cocktail approach in treating chronic illness.
XTLbio believes its primary competitive advantage lies in its patented Trimera(tm)
technology, which enables the development of fully human monoclonal antibodies
and models of human disease for pre-clinical drug validation. Established in
1993, XTLbio became a public company in 2000 with shares traded on the London
Stock Exchange under the symbol XTL.



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