Synergy Pharmaceuticals Announces Appointment of Dr. Mel Spigelman to Board of Directors

New York, New York--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB:SGYP - News) is pleased to announce that on August 21, 2008, the Board of Directors of Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. appointed Melvin K. Spigelman, M.D. as a director of the Company. In addition, the Board of Directors appointed Dr. Spigelman Chairman of the Company’s Clinical Oversight Committee as well as a member of the Compensation Committee.

Dr. Spigelman has served as Director of Research and Development for the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, a non-profit organization which seeks to accelerate the discovery and development of faster-acting and affordable drugs to fight tuberculosis, since June 2003. Before joining the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, Dr. Spigelman was President of Hudson-Douglas Ltd, a consulting company, from June 2001 to June 2003. From 1992 to 2001, Dr. Spigelman served as a Vice President and head of R&D at Knoll Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical unit of BASF Pharma. Dr. Spigelman has been a director of The Medicines Company since 2005. Dr. Spigelman received a B.A. in engineering from Brown University and an M.D. from The Mount Sinai School of Medicine; and is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and preventive medicine.

“Dr. Mel Spigelman is a pharmaceutical executive with an un-common mix of experience in research and development, commercialization, academic oversight and global public health,” said Gary S. Jacob, President and Acting CEO of Synergy. “As Chairman of Synergy’s Clinical Oversight Committee, Mel will provide critical input to Synergy Management on the clinical development of SP-304, Synergy’s drug that recently entered clinical trials to treat gastrointestinal disorders. We are pleased to have Mel join our Board and fully expect that his unique experience will be a major asset to Synergy.”

About SP-304
SP-304 is a member of a new class of non-systemic drugs for treatment of chronic constipation (CC), irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and other GI diseases. SP-304 is a synthetic analog of uroguanylin, a natriuretic hormone that regulates ion and fluid transport in the GI tract. Orally administered SP-304 binds to and activates guanylate cyclase C (GC-C) expressed on epithelial cells lining the GI mucosa, resulting in activation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), and leading to augmented flow of chloride and water into the lumen of the gut, facilitating bowel movement. In animal models, oral administration of SP-304 promotes intestinal secretion as well as ameliorating gastrointestinal inflammation.

About Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Up to one sixth of adults experience inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition marked by disturbed bowel function and abdominal pain. IBS patients can have three different sets of symptoms; diarrhea-predominant (IBS-D), constipation-predominant (IBS-C) and mixed or alternating disorder (IBS-M). The split in prevalence between the forms is about 1/3rd each. In addition, most patients suffering from the mixed form of IBS (IBS-M) are believed to mainly have constipation. An estimated 10 million people in the US and an additional 10 million people in the EU suffer from IBS-C. IBS (all forms) accounts for 12% of adult visits to primary care physicians in the US.

About Chronic Constipation
Chronic constipation is a very common gastrointestinal disorder. Up to 26 million Americans suffer from the disorder, and of this population about 5 million have a severe condition necessitating relief. The prevalence of the disorder is similar in other developed countries. Patients with chronic constipation often experience hard stools, straining during bowel movements and not enough bowel movements during the week. People with chronic constipation can experience serious discomfort which adversely affects their ability to work and their quality of life.

About Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Synergy is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new drugs to treat gastrointestinal disorders and diseases. Synergy's proprietary drug SP-304 began clinical development in June 2008 for gastro-intestinal disorders. SP-304 recently finished a Phase I clinical trial in volunteers and the Company plans to initiate a Phase IIa clinical trial of SP-304 in chronic constipation patients in late 2009 or early 2010. SP-304 is a synthetic analog of the human gastrointestinal hormone uroguanylin, and acts by activating the guanylate cyclase C (GC-C) receptor on epithelial cells of the GI tract. More information is available at http://www.synergybio.net

Contact:
Gary S. Jacob, Ph.D..
President and Acting CEO, Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
+1-212-297-0010, gjacob@synergybio.net