LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY
FOR
AVANT IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS, INC.
SECTION 16(a) FILINGS


Know all men by these presents, that the
undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints each of
Avery W. Catlin and Una S. Ryan, signing singly, the
undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

(1)	execute for and on behalf of the
undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity
as an officer, director and/or stockholder
of AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc. (the
"Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 and any
amendments thereto in accordance with
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 and the rules thereunder;

(2)	do and perform any and all acts for and on
behalf of the undersigned which may be
necessary or desirable to complete and
execute any such Form 3, 4, or 5 or
amendment thereto and timely file such form
with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and any
stock exchange or similar authority; and

(3)	take any other action of any type whatsoever
which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-
fact, may be necessary or desirable in
connection with the foregoing authority, it
being understood that the documents executed
by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned pursuant to this Power of
Attorney shall be in such form and shall
contain such terms and conditions as such
attorney-in-fact may approve.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such
attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and
perform any and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the
exercise of any of the rights and powers herein
granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the
undersigned might or could do if personally present,
with full power of substitution or revocation, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-
fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or
substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue of this Power of Attorney and the rights and
powers herein granted.  The undersigned acknowledges
that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in
such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are
not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with
Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force
and effect until the undersigned is no longer required
to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of and transactions in
securities of the Company, unless earlier revoked by
the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact.  This Power of Attorney
may be filed with the SEC as a confirming statement of
the authority granted herein.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused
this Limited Power of Attorney to be executed as of
this 16th day of March, 2004.




/s/ J. Barrie Ward
Signature


J. Barrie Ward
Print Name