ViroPharma Announces Acceptance of Cinryze(TM) (C1 Esterase Inhibitor [Human]) Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) by European Medicines Agency (EMA)

EXTON, Pennsylvania, March 24, 2010 - ViroPharma Incorporated (Nasdaq: VPHM) today announced that the European
Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted the filing of its Marketing Authorization
Application (MAA) for Cinryze for acute treatment and prophylaxis against
hereditary angioedema (HAE), which was submitted through the centralized
procedure in March 2010. ViroPharma is seeking European approval for both
prevention and treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE).

Cinryze was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October
2008 for routine prophylaxis against angioedema attacks in adolescent and
adult patients with HAE. It is currently not approved for use in acute
attacks of HAE in the U.S.

"Hereditary angioedema is a genetic inflammatory disease suffered by
patients across the globe, and the acceptance of this application by the EMA
is an important step in the process towards bringing this important therapy
to HAE patients in Europe suffering from this debilitating disease,"
commented Vincent Milano, ViroPharma's president and chief executive officer.
"We are looking forward to the day when we may be in position to provide this
therapeutic alternative to this additional group of HAE patients."

The MAA is based on comprehensive clinical data including analyses of the
results of ViroPharma's Phase 3 studies of acute and prophylactic use of
Cinryze in patients with HAE, plus recent data from the company's longer-term
open label studies of the drug. The MAA acceptance triggers the initiation of
EMA's regulatory review process.

In 2009 Cinryze received orphan medicinal product designation in the
European Union. In the E.U., orphan medicinal product designation is
conferred upon investigational products for diseases that affect fewer than
five in 10,000 patients. Products with orphan designation that are the first
to be approved for a specific indication receive ten years of market
exclusivity in the European Union plus two additional years with approval of
a Pediatric Investigation Plan. In March of 2010, ViroPharma announced the
adoption of a positive outcome to the compliance check for its Pediatric
Investigation Plan for Cinryze.

About Cinryze(TM) (C1 esterase inhibitor [human])

Cinryze is a highly purified, pasteurized and nanofiltered plasma-derived
C1 esterase inhibitor product that has been approved by U.S. FDA for routine
prophylaxis against angioedema attacks in adolescent and adult patients with
HAE. C1 inhibitor therapy has been used acutely for more than 35 years in
Europe to treat patients with C1 inhibitor deficiency. Cinryze is not
currently approved in the European Union or any of its member states.

The most common adverse reactions observed in clinical trials have been
upper respiratory infection, sinusitis, rash and headache. No drug-related
serious adverse events (SAEs) have been observed in clinical trials. Severe
hypersensitivity reactions may occur. Thrombotic events have occurred in
patients receiving high dose off-label C1 inhibitor therapy well above the
approved treatment dosage regimen. With any blood or plasma derived product,
there may be a risk of transmission of infectious agents, e.g. viruses and,
theoretically, the CJD agent. The risk has been reduced by screening patients
for prior exposure to certain virus infections and by manufacturing steps to
reduce the risk of viral transmission including pasteurization and
nanofiltration.

Cinryze is for intravenous use only. A dose of 1000 Units of Cinryze can
be administered every 3 or 4 days for routine prophylaxis against angioedema
attacks in HAE patients. Cinryze is administered at an injection rate of 1 mL
per minute.

About Hereditary Angioedema (HAE)

HAE is a rare, severely debilitating, life-threatening genetic disorder
caused by a deficiency of C1 inhibitor, a human plasma protein. This
condition is the result of a defect in the gene controlling the synthesis of
C1 inhibitor. C1 inhibitor maintains the natural regulation of the contact,
complement, and fibrinolytic systems, that when left unregulated, can
initiate or perpetuate an attack by consuming the already low levels of
endogenous C1 inhibitor in HAE patients. Patients with C1 inhibitor
deficiency experience recurrent, unpredictable, debilitating, and potentially
life threatening attacks of inflammation affecting the larynx, abdomen, face,
extremities and urogenital tract. Patients with HAE experience approximately
20 to 100 days of incapacitation per year. There are estimated to be at least
6,500 people with HAE in the United States and approximately similar
demographics in the European Union.

For more information on HAE, visit the U.S. HAE Association's website at:
www.haea.org or the HAEI (International Patient Organization for C1
Inhibitor Deficiencies) at www.haei.org.

About ViroPharma Incorporated

ViroPharma Incorporated is an international biopharmaceutical company
committed to developing and commercializing innovative products for physician
specialists to enable the support of patients with serious diseases for which
there is an unmet medical need, and providing rewarding careers to employees.
ViroPharma commercializes Cinryze(TM) (C1 esterase inhibitor [human]) for
routine prophylaxis against angioedema attacks in adolescent and adult
patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE). ViroPharma commercializes
Vancocin(R), approved for oral administration for treatment of
antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis caused by Clostridium
difficile and enterocolitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, including
methicillin-resistant strains (for prescribing information on ViroPharma's
commercial products, please download the package inserts at
www.viropharma.com/Products.aspx). ViroPharma currently focuses its
drug development activities in diseases including C1 esterase inhibitor
deficiency and C. difficile.

ViroPharma routinely posts information, including press releases, which
may be important to investors in the investor relations and media sections of
our company's web site, www.viropharma.com. The company encourages
investors to consult these sections for more information on ViroPharma and
our business.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release contain forward-looking
statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking
statements provide our current expectations or forecasts of future events,
including our regulatory filings in Europe related to Cinryze, including
without limitation statements related to potential regulatory timelines, the
likelihood of regulatory success and the scope of indications for which
Cinryze may be approved. The EMA may view the data regarding the use of
Cinryze for acute treatment and / or prevention of HAE we have submitted in
the MAA as insufficient or inconclusive, request additional data, require
additional clinical studies, delay any decision past the time frames
anticipated by us, limit any approved indications, deny the approval of
Cinryze for acute treatment and / or prevention of HAE or approve a competing
product which has been granted orphan drug designation thereby preventing
Cinryze from reaching the European market. For example, in June 2009, the
U.S. FDA issued a complete response letter and requested an additional
clinical study, due to their opinion that the placebo controlled study
submitted in support of the sBLA for acute treatment of HAE lacked
robustness. These factors, and other factors, including, but not limited to
those described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2009 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause
future results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in this
press release. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release
are made as of the date hereof and may become outdated over time. ViroPharma
does not assume any responsibility for updating any forward-looking
statements. These forward looking statements should not be relied upon as
representing our assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this
press release.

Media: Kristina M. Broadbelt, Assistant Director, PR & Advocacy, +1-610-321-2358, or Investors: Robert A. Doody Jr., Assistant Director, Investor Relations, +1-610-321-6290, both of ViroPharma Incorporated