Year-end Trading Update

ABCAM PLC

("Abcam" or "the Company")

Year-end Trading Update

Cambridge, UK: Abcam plc (AIM: ABC), the rapidly growing bioscience company which markets antibodies via its own online catalogue, is pleased to announce a pre-close trading update ahead of its results for the year ended 30 June 2010.

The Board has been pleased with the level of trading in the second half of the year, which has been strong despite the uncertainties in the global economic environment. Overall, sterling has been weaker than in the first half of the year and this has boosted sales more than was expected.

During the period we continued our policy of tight cost control both for cost of goods and other operating expenses. Together with the positive effect of exchange rates, this has contributed to higher gross margins, and allowed us to benefit from the operational gearing of the business. Overall this means that we anticipate that the profit before tax for the year will be around 9% ahead of current market consensus.

Our online catalogue has continued to grow, comprising 63,000 products at the year end, of which the majority are antibodies. The protein detection and regulation markets are exciting ones to be in and we believe that we are well placed within them to build on our strong market position and expertise. It is encouraging that they continue to demonstrate the defensive qualities shown through the recent economic turbulence. However Governments and companies around the world are still affected by the legacy of the recession and it is unclear whether this may have any impact on our business.

The preliminary results for the 2010 financial year will be announced in the week commencing 6 September 2010.

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Notes for editors

About Abcam plc

Abcam is a producer and distributor of research-grade antibodies headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, with subsidiaries in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Abcam was admitted to AIM in November 2005 and trades under the ticker symbol ABC. The Company produces and distributes its own and third-party produced antibodies and related products to academic and commercial users throughout the world. Product ordering is available through the Company's website www.abcam.com, where customers are also able to access up-to-date and detailed technical product data sheets. All the antibodies are sold under the Abcam brand name. Abcam's mission is to develop the largest catalogue of the best antibodies in the world, with the vision of becoming a global leader in the wider protein detection and regulation markets. Abcam now has a rapidly growing online catalogue and as at 30 June 2010 it contained 63,000 products, most of which are antibodies, from over 250 suppliers. Abcam employs 270 staff in its four operating companies.

About antibodies

Antibodies are proteins produced by white blood cells in response to the introduction of a foreign body known as an antigen. Antibodies, which have a wide variety of uses in research, diagnostics and therapeutics, are used by bioscientists in research into disease and into the human genome, where they are used to mark and identify specific cells and other living matter. The number of human antibodies of use in research is potentially greater than one million.