RNS Number:5116U
Capital Group Companies Inc
22 January 2004

                                                                      FORM SAR 3

Lodge with Company Announcements Office and Newstrack, if appropriate, and the
Takeover Panel. A copy must also be sent to the company the shares of which are
acquired.

                                            Date of disclosure - 21 January 2004

   DISCLOSURE UNDER RULE 3 OF THE RULES GOVERNING SUBSTANTIAL ACQUISITIONS OF
                                SHARES ("SARs")



Date of acquisition                                    20 January 2004
                                                       

Acquisition in                                       Celltech Group plc
                                                     


(1)  Class of voting shares             Number of shares/rights over shares     If rights over shares acquired, as
                                        acquired                                opposed to the shares themselves,
        (e.g. ordinary shares)                                                  specify nature of rights


        Ordinary Shares                            1,859,193 shares                                  N/A

                                                           0 rights








(2)  Resultant total holding of voting  Resultant total holding of rights over  Total percentage
shares (and % of total voting shares in shares (and % of total voting shares in
issue)                                  issue)



        42,811,434 (15.42%)                           0 (0.00%)                    15.42%

                                                                                                      





3)    Party making disclosure   The Capital Group Companies, Inc.



(4)  (a)   Name of person acquiring shares or rights over
               shares and, if different, beneficial owner:     The Capital Group Companies, Inc.



        (b)   Names of any other persons acting by

               agreement or understanding (see SAR 5)      N/A
                                                           



Signed, for and on behalf of the party named in (3) above
_________________________________



(Also print name of signatory)                  Liliane Corzo
                                                 



Telephone and extension number                  Contact David Gaw (213) 615-0469

                     ______________________________________

Note.  Under SAR 5, the holdings of and acquisitions by persons acting by
agreement or understanding must be aggregated and treated as a holding of or
acquisition by one person. Note 3 on SAR 5 requires persons who must aggregate
holdings to disclose certain disposals.

For full details of the SARs disclosure requirements, see Rules 3 and 5 of the
SARs. If in doubt, contact the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, Monitoring
Section, Tel. No: 020 7638 0129.






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