The Helsinn Group Implements New Organizational Structure

Giorgio Calderari Promoted to Group General Manager, Responsible for Corporate, Business Development, R&D, Technical Affairs, Commercial, and Manufacturing Functions

LUGANO, Switzerland, January 11 - Riccardo Braglia has been confirmed as CEO of the Helsinn
Group. His role will focus on the Group's fundamental strategic tasks,
including internal and external growth, and new market opening. Riccardo
Braglia will also directly take care of the US market-direct sales project at
Helsinn Therapeutics USA, the latter coordinated by Andrea Meoli, who has
been confirmed Chief Commercial Officer.

Gabriele Braglia, Founder of the Helsinn Group retains his
role as Group's Chairman of the Board of Directors. Giorgio Calderari,
formerly Chief Operating Officer, has been promoted to Group General Manager
and will report directly to the Group's CEO with the responsibility of
managing and co-ordinating the Corporate functions, including Business
Development assigned to Roberto De Ponti, Research & Development assigned to
the newly appointed Chief Scientific Officer Sergio Cantoreggi, Technical
Affairs managed by Daniele Bonadeo, Commercial under Andrea Meoli, and
Manufacturing run by Paolo Guainazzi and Padraig Somers.

Luigi Caletti, confirmed as Chief Financial Officer, and
Matteo Missaglia, appointed Head of Corporate Legal Affairs will report
directly to Riccardo Braglia.

About Helsinn Group

Helsinn is a privately owned pharmaceutical group with
headquarters in Lugano, Switzerland. Helsinn's unique business model is
focused on the licensing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices in
therapeutic niche areas. The Group in-licenses early stage new chemical
entities, completes their development from the performance of
pre-clinical/clinical studies and Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control (CMC)
development, to the filing for and attainment of their market approval
worldwide.

Helsinn's products are sold directly, through the Group
subsidiaries, or eventually out-licensed to its network of local marketing
and commercial partners, selected for their deep in-
market knowledge and know-how, and assisted and supported with
a full range of product and scientific management services, including
commercial, regulatory, financial, legal and medical marketing advice. The
active pharmaceutical ingredients and the finished dosage forms are
manufactured at Helsinn's cGMP facilities in Switzerland and Ireland, and
supplied worldwide to its customers.

Helsinn is the worldwide licensor of palonosetron, a second
generation 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, for the prevention of
chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and of post-operative nausea
and vomiting (PONV) in patients with cancer, and of the original nimesulide,
a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) distributed in more than 50
countries worldwide.

Helsinn, with a workforce of around 450 employees in
Switzerland, Ireland and USA, reported a 2008 turnover of over CHF 280.3
million (about EUR 178 million), covering 75 countries worldwide, with over
20% of this turnover invested in R&D.

    Contact person at Helsinn Healthcare SA:

    Paola Bonvicini
    Head of Communication & Press Office
    Tel: +41-91-985-21-21
    info-hhc@helsinn.com

Contact person at Helsinn Healthcare SA: Paola Bonvicini, Head of Communication & Press Office, Tel: +41-91-985-21-21, info-hhc at helsinn.com