Release Details

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBIX) today announced the appointment of Margaret Valeur-Jensen., Ph.D., Esq. to the newly created position of Vice President and General Counsel. Dr. Valeur-Jensen has recognized experience in legal transactions for licensing, corporate partnerships, and product commercialization as well as in building intellectual property portfolios. She will be responsible for all corporate and patent law practices at Neurocrine, will serve as Corporate Secretary and will be a member of the senior management committee.

Dr. Valeur-Jensen joins Neurocrine after almost eight years at Amgen, where she served most recently as Associate General Counsel and Director. Prior to joining Amgen, Dr. Valeur-Jensen practiced law at Davis, Polk & Wardell, a leading corporate law firm. She earned a J.D. degree with honors from Stanford University, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Syracuse University, and a Post-Doctoral Fellow from Harvard Medical School.

"Dr. Valeur-Jensen joins Neurocrine at a time when we are focusing our efforts to accelerate development of six potential products currently in clinical development. I am confident that Dr. Valeur-Jensen will help bring Neurocrine closer to our goal of successful product commercialization. Her legal, business and scientific background will be an asset to the Company," said Gary A. Lyons, president and chief executive officer.

Neurocrine currently has five compounds in clinical development for CNS related disorders and expects to file an IND for a drug candidate for diabetes before the end of 1998. The Company's CRF receptor antagonist is currently in Phase I clinical development with its partner, Janssen Pharmaceutica, for anxiety/depression. Neurocrine and its partner, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, are conducting a Phase II clinical program with Neurocrine's APL compound in patients with multiple sclerosis. A second APL compound is expected to enter Phase I clinical trials by early 1999 for diabetes. The company is also planning a Phase I/II clinical trials with IL-4 Fusion Toxin for glioblastoma (malignant brain tumor) and Phase I trials with NBI-34060 for insomnia. In addition, Neurocrine's affiliate, Neuroscience Pharma, Inc. (NPI), recently announced completion of enrollment in a Phase III clinical trial with its neurosteroid compound in Alzheimer's disease.

Neurocrine Biosciences is a leading neuroscience company focused on the discovery and development of novel therapeutics for neuropsychiatric, neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases and disorders. The Company's neuroscience, endocrine and immunology disciplines provide a unique biological understanding of the molecular interaction between central nervous, immune and endocrine systems for the development of therapeutic interventions for anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, obesity and diabetes.

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. news releases are available free of charge though PR Newswire's Company News On-Call fax service. For a menu of Neurocrine's previous releases, or to receive a specific release via fax call: 800-758-5804, ext. 604138, or use the Internet via http://www.prnewswire.com.

The statements in the press release that relate to the development of potential products, including the expected date of entry into clinical trials, are forward looking statements. Such forward looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, that compounds which demonstrate efficacy in pre-clinical studies may not prove to be effective for treatment in humans, that development candidates which have successfully progressed through pre-clinical and early state clinical trials will not successfully proceed through later stage large scale clinical trials, that the regulatory clearances required for clinical testing, manufacturing, and marketing of products may not be received in a timely manner (or at all), and the potential adverse impact of competitive technologies, products, and intellectual property rights of third parties as well as the risk that Neurocrine's collaborative partners may elect not to proceed with the development of a potential product. For a discussion of the other risks and uncertainties potentially impacting the Company's business, see the Company's Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 1997. Actual results and timing of certain risks could differ materially from those indicated in the forward looking statements as a result of these and other factors.
SOURCE Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
Company News On-Call: http: //www.prnewswire.com/comp/604138.html or fax, 800-758-5804, ext. 604138
CONTACT: Elizabeth Foster or Paul Hawran, 619-658-7600, both of Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.