Genome Therapeutics Adds New President and Chief Operating Officer / Appoints Dr. Richard D. Gill, Former General Manager of BTG plc's North American Operations

WALTHAM, Mass. (PROTEXT) - Genome Therapeutics Corp. (Nasdaq:GENE), a leader in the field of genomics, today announced theappointment of Richard D. Gill, Ph.D., as President and ChiefOperating Officer, effective January 3, 2000. Dr. Gill succeedsRobert J. Hennessey who remains Chairman and Chief ExecutiveOfficer. ( Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991216/NETH002) Dr. Gill joins Genome Therapeutics following 10 years with BTGInternational Inc., a subsidiary of BTG plc, a global leader inthe patenting, marketing and commercialization of intellectualproperty rights. Dr. Gill was instrumental in establishing BTGUSA in 1990 and served as Senior Vice President and GeneralManager of BTG's North American Biosciences businessheadquartered in Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania. He was responsiblefor Human Pharmaceuticals, Agribusiness, Food, Vaccines,Veterinary Products and Diagnostics. During his tenure, BTG in-licensed technologies and products including BeneFIX(R)(Recombinant Factor IX treatment for Hemophilia B) and Campath(R)(treatment for the most common form of adult leukemia) fromuniversities for development and re-licensed them to GeneticsInstitute and LeukoSite, respectively, for development. "Recognized as one of the most successful commercializationexecutives in the biosciences business, Dr. Gill brings ademonstrated balance of scientific and business leadership toGenome Therapeutics. His track record of acquiring technologiesand commercializing products from a variety of sources,domestically and abroad is impressive," stated Robert J.Hennessey. "Dr. Gill's experience and abilities will help leadGTC to a new level as we seek to expand our revenue base and addvalue through acquisition and development of novel products andtechnologies." "Bob Hennessey and his team have built an impressive portfolioof alliance partners and created a solid commercial business ingenomics," said Dr. Gill. "I look forward to developing andintegrating these strengths to capitalize on the tremendousopportunities in genomics and drug discovery, both within GenomeTherapeutics as well as by identification and development ofassets from external sources." Prior to joining BTG, Dr. Gill held positions of increasingresponsibility in science and management with Unilever plc in theUnited Kingdom from 1980 to 1989. Dr. Gill is a Board member ofthe Ben Franklin Technology Center, served as a Board member ofthe Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association, and acted as Co-Chairof the Host Committee for BIO '96, in Philadelphia. Hennessey added, "On behalf of all our employees and theBoard, we welcome Dr. Gill to the Company, and look forward tohis enthusiastic leadership in shaping the next phase of ourCompany's growth." Genome Therapeutics Corp. is a leader in the field of genomics- the identification and functional characterization of genes.The Company's commercial gene discovery strategy is to elucidatemicrobial genes as novel drug targets against many seriousinfectious organisms and identify and characterize human genesassociated with major diseases. Together with its strategicpartners, Genome Therapeutics is using genomic information todevelop a new generation of pharmaceuticals. Statements in this press release that are not strictlyhistorical are "forward looking" statements as defined in thePrivate Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The actualresults may differ from those projected in the forward lookingstatement due to risks and uncertainties that exist in GenomeTherapeutics' operations and business environment, described morefully in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K. ots OriginalText Service: Genome Therapeutics Corp. Internet:http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: Christopher Taylor, Directorof Investor Relations of Genome Therapeutics Corp., 781-398-2466,or Douglas E. MacDougall, Vice President of Feinstein KeanHealthcare, 617-577-8110 Photo: NewsCom:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991216/NETH002

PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 201-369-3467 Web site:http://www.genomecorp.com

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