Novexel Strengthens its Scientific Advisory Board With the Appointment of Dr. Karen Bush

PARIS - Novexel, a speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the
discovery and development of novel antibiotics designed to overcome the
significant global problem of microbial resistance, announces today the
appointment of Dr. Karen Bush to the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board
(SAB). Novexel’s SAB is chaired by Dr. David Shlaes who sits on the Company’s
board. Dr. Bush, who is currently Adjunct Professor at the Department of
Biology at Indiana University, brings extensive experience and knowledge of
the anti-infectives field to Novexel’s SAB.

Dr. Bush’s distinguished scientific career in anti-infective
research and development spans over three decades and she is a recognised
authority in the study of resistance mediated by beta-lactamases. During her
career, Dr. Bush has held the position of Distinguished Research Fellow at
Johnson & Johnson, Director of Microbial Biochemistry at the Astra Research
Center, Boston, MA; Senior Research Fellow, Infectious Disease at Wyeth and
Principal Investigator at the Department of Microbiology at Bristol Myers
Squibb. Over this period, Dr. Bush was a member of the scientific teams that
developed a portfolio of leading hospital antibiotics including levofloxacin
(Levaquin), doripenem (Doribax). aztreonam (Azactam) and
piperacillin-tazobactam (Zozyn).

Dr. Bush received her Ph.D. from the Indiana University
Chemistry Department in 1970 and has since authored over 160 peer-reviewed
publications and 17 book chapters. Dr. Bush has also served on the Editorial
Boards of several internationally renowned journals including Antimicrobial
Agents and Chemotherapy and the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and
Infectious Diseases. Dr. Bush is a member of the Program Committee for one of
the anti-infectives industry’s most important conferences, the Interscience
Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, ICAAC. Moreover, Dr.
Bush was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2000, in
recognition of her record of scientific achievement and original
contributions to microbiology

About Novexel

Novexel is a speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the
discovery and development of novel antibiotics designed to overcome the
significant global problem of microbial resistance. The ever increasing
resistance to marketed antibiotics has led to a clear need for novel drugs
that are active against multi-drug resistant bacteria. Novexel’s products are
targeting the global hospital antibiotic market, which was worth an estimated
$17bn in 2008.[1]

Novexel currently has two novel antibacterials in Phase II
clinical development. These are the injectable beta-lactamase inhibitor,
NXL104, which is being developed in combination with the cephalosporin
antibiotic ceftazidime for serious Gram negative infections, and the oral
streptogramin antibiotic, NXL103, for the treatment of Gram positive
infections, with a focus on treatment in the hospital setting and intravenous
(IV) to oral switch. Novexel has three further programmes in preclinical
development, NXL105, a novel anti-Pseudomonal antibiotic, NXL201, a novel
echinocandin antifungal agent, and NXL104 in combination with ceftaroline.
This latter product is being developed by our partner, Forest Laboratories,
solely for North American markets.

Novexel was created in December 2004 as an independent
spin-out of the sanofi-aventis (Euronext Paris: SAN, NYSE: SNY)
anti-infectives unit. Novexel has a team of 50 employees with significant
experience in anti-infective research and development, who are located in
Paris, France and Philadelphia, USA.

[1] Source: IMS Health, MIDAS, 2006-2008

For further information please contact:

Novexel
Gordon Waldron, CFO
gordon.waldron@novexel.com

Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Amber Bielecka/David Dible/Nina Enegren
Tel.: +44-(0)207-638-95-71
amber.bielecka@citigatedr.co.uk

Source: Novexel

For further information please contact: Novexel, Gordon Waldron, CFO, gordon.waldron at novexel.com. Citigate Dewe Rogerson, Amber Bielecka/David Dible/Nina Enegren, Tel.: +44-(0)207-638-95-71, amber.bielecka at citigatedr.co.uk