FRAMINGHAM, MA – January 21, 2009 -- GTC Biotherapeutics, Inc. ("GTC" or “the Company”, NASDAQ: GTCB) received notice from the Listing Qualifications Staff (“Staff”) of The NASDAQ Stock Market indicating that GTC has regained compliance with the minimum market value of listed securities requirement for continued listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market, as set forth in Marketplace Rule 4310 (c)(3), by exceeding $35 million of market capitalization for 10 consecutive trading days. Based on NASDAQ’s recent extension of the temporary suspension of Marketplace Rule 4450(a)(5), GTC has until at least July 20, 2009 to regain compliance with the minimum $1.00 bid price requirement for continued listing.

“We are pleased to have regained compliance with the minimum market capitalization listing requirement,” stated Geoffrey F. Cox, GTC’s Chairman of the Board and CEO. “We look forward to continuing to build on our strengths with expected near term news regarding ATryn’s regulatory review and its commercial launch in the USA.”

ATryn®, GTC’s recombinant form of human antithrombin, was recently recommended by the Blood Products Advisory Committee, or BPAC, to be safe and efficacious for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism in hereditary antithrombin deficient patients undergoing surgery or childbirth procedures. The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, instituted guidance last week regarding the review and approval of a New Animal Drug Application, or NADA, for animals that incorporate additional genetic information. GTC worked closely with FDA staff to present all relevant information and participated in all field inspections necessary to support the review of an NADA for the animals that produce recombinant human antithrombin in their milk. The FDA’s preliminary review of this information was presented to the BPAC. Under the Priority Review process, the target action date for a decision by the FDA on the Biologics License Application for ATryn® is February 7, 2009. OVATION Pharmaceuticals, GTC’s partner for development and commercialization of ATryn® in the United States, is planning for commercial launch of the product following FDA approval.

GTC Biotherapeutics develops, supplies, and commercializes therapeutic proteins produced through transgenic animal technology. In addition to ATryn®, GTC is developing a portfolio of recombinant human plasma proteins with known therapeutic properties. These proteins include recombinant forms of human coagulation factors VIIa, VIII, and IX, which are used for the treatment of hemophilia, and alpha-1 antitrypsin. GTC also has a monoclonal antibody portfolio that includes a monoclonal antibody to CD20 and a monoclonal antibody to CD137. GTC’s intellectual property includes a patent in the United States through 2021 for the production of any therapeutic protein in the milk of any transgenic mammal. GTC’s transgenic production platform is particularly well suited to enabling cost effective development of proteins that are difficult to express in traditional recombinant production systems as well as proteins that are required in large volumes. Additional information is available on the GTC web site, http://www.gtc-bio.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including without limitation statements regarding the prospects for and timing of determinations by NASDAQ and the FDA, and the prospects for the commercial launch of ATryn®. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such statements. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties discussed in GTC's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks and uncertainties associated with dependence upon the actions of NASDAQ and the FDA, as well as the actions of partners. GTC cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These statements speak only as of the date of this document, and GTC undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements, except as may be required by law.