Board change

Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts - 23 January 2004 - Acambis plc
("Acambis") (LSE: ACM, NASDAQ: ACAM) announces the resignation of Non-executive
Director, Victor Schmitt.

Mr Schmitt, who has been a Non-executive Director since December 2000, was
Baxter International, Inc.'s ("Baxter") representative on Acambis' Board of
Directors. His resignation follows Baxter's sale on 18 December 2003 of its
shareholding in Acambis.

Alan Smith, Chairman of Acambis, said:


"The Board of Acambis would like to thank Victor for the great contribution he
has made during his three years as a director. Although Victor is stepping down
from the Board, we have a number of commercial arrangements with Baxter and
look forward to the continuation of the strong relationship between the two
companies."

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Enquiries:

Acambis plc

Gordon Cameron, Acting Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer:
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 275 300

Lyndsay Wright, Director of Communications: Tel: +44 (0) 1223 275 300

About Acambis

Acambis is a leading developer of vaccines to prevent and treat infectious
diseases. Recognised internationally as the leading producer of smallpox
vaccines, Acambis is developing a second-generation smallpox vaccine which is
currently undergoing clinical trials and, under a unique arrangement given the
threat of smallpox being used as a bioterrorist weapon, is manufacturing
emergency-use stockpiles of this investigational vaccine for the US Government
and other governments around the world. Acambis is establishing a travel
vaccines franchise through its US-based subsidiary Berna Products Corporation,
which markets Vivotif�, the world's only oral typhoid vaccine, in North
America. Acambis has a number of other potential travel vaccines in
development. A licence application has been submitted to the US Food and Drug
Administration for a vaccine against yellow fever and clinical trials are being
conducted for vaccines against Japanese encephalitis, travellers' diarrhoea and
dengue fever. Acambis recently became the first company to start human clinical
trials of a vaccine targeting the West Nile virus, which has spread to 45 US
States in the last four years.

Acambis is based in Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. Its primary
listing is on the London Stock Exchange (ACM) and its shares are listed in the
form of American Depositary Receipts on Nasdaq (ACAM). More information is
available at www.acambis.com.

"Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995:

The statements in this news release that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including the
timing and results of clinical trials, product development, manufacturing and
commercialisation risks, the risks of satisfying the regulatory approval
process in a timely manner, the need for and the availability of additional
capital. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties see "Risk
factors" in the Company's Annual Report and Form 20-F for the most recently
ended fiscal year, in addition to those detailed in the Company's filings made
with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These
forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the
management of Acambis and are believed to be reasonable, though are inherently
uncertain and difficult to predict. Actual results or experience could differ
materially from the forward-looking statements.



END