Marathons, mainsails and the healthcare industry

London, UK, 9 July 2008: Last week saw the 31st Three Peaks Yacht Race, an annual event where teams from around the world compete over the near 500 mile course which includes offshore sailing, mountain running and cycling.

The winning team, JourneyMaker, who completed the marathon race in the second fastest time ever of 2 days 18 hours and 19 minutes, was lead by Dr Louise Makin, CEO of BTG, and included Gordon Baxter, CEO of BioWisdom amongst the crew of 3 sailors and 2 runners.

The Three Peaks Yacht Race is one of the toughest sports challenges anywhere, with 389 miles of offshore sailing, 59 miles of mountain running and 30 miles of cycling to the top of the three highest peaks in the UK. Even for professional adventure racers this is a unique course and one of the top challenges. For the CEO of one of the UK's leading biotech companies it has been the challenge of a life time.

Commenting on the race website, Louise compared her running and sailing experiences with her role as CEO of BTG: "I have progressed from my youthful international rowing and a PhD in material science, through a phase of road running and a career in industrial chemicals, to Swiss mountain marathons, mainsail trimming and the healthcare industry - experiencing the inevitable elation of success and the despair of setbacks along the way, always learning and re-discovering the amazing potential of a team committed to shared goals and to each other."

This is the third year JourneyMaker has entered the race. The first year the goal was to finish, and despite severe summer storms, JourneyMaker finished in 7th place. The second year goal was to win the Tillman Trophy, and despite unseasonal and adverse northerly winds, JourneyMaker won the Tillman Trophy. The third year goal was to compete for line honours, and with favourable but stormy weather, JourneyMaker won the coveted Daily Telegraph Trophy for first across the line, only 20 minutes ahead of the second team in the closest race in memory. Throughout, the JourneyMaker team have supported the Bendrigg Trust and raised over £45,000 since 2006.

To read more about the team, the race and to see the photos, go to www.journeymaker.co.uk

For further information contact:

BTG
Nicole Yost, Head of Marketing
+44 (0)20 7575 1619

College Hill
Sue Charles, Tony Stephenson, Claire Mosley
+44 (0)20 7457 2020

About BTG

BTG in-licenses, develops and commercialises pharmaceuticals and has a broad pipeline of development programmes targeting neurological and other disorders including varicose veins. The company also has a substantial and growing revenue stream of milestone payments and royalties from out-licensed products. BTG operates from offices in London, Philadelphia and Osaka. For further information, visit: www.btgplc.com .