NASDAQ: CRME TSX: COM

VANCOUVER, Feb. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Cardiome Pharma Corp. (NASDAQ: CRME / TSX: COM) ("Cardiome" or the "Company") today announced that it has filed a preliminary short form base shelf prospectus with securities regulatory authorities in Canada, other than Québec, and a corresponding shelf registration statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on Form F-10.

The filing is intended to restore the original capacity which was available to Cardiome under its previous base shelf prospectus which will expire on March 13, 2016. Once the shelf prospectus is cleared and the shelf registration statement becomes effective, these filings will, subject to securities regulatory requirements, provide for the potential offering in Canada and the United States of up to an aggregate of U.S.$250,000,000 of Cardiome's common shares, preferred shares, debt securities, subscription receipts, units and warrants from time to time over a 25-month period after Canadian securities regulatory authorities have issued a receipt for the final short form base shelf prospectus. This shelf prospectus is intended to give Cardiome the flexibility to take advantage of financing opportunities when market conditions are favourable. The terms of such future offerings, if any, will be established at the time of such offerings. At the time any of the securities covered by the shelf prospectus are offered for sale, a prospectus supplement containing specific information about the terms of any such offering will be filed with applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the SEC.

The shelf registration statement filed today with the SEC has not yet become effective. No securities may be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

A copy of the shelf registration statement, including the related prospectus, may be obtained from Cardiome by submitting a request to Investor Relations at Cardiome's address at 1441 Creekside Dr., 6(th) Floor, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6J 4S7.

About Cardiome Pharma Corp.

Cardiome Pharma Corp. is a specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of cardiovascular therapies that will improve the quality of life and health of patients suffering from heart disease. Cardiome has two marketed, in-hospital, cardiology products, BRINAVESS(®) (vernakalant IV), approved in Europe and other territories for the rapid conversion of recent onset atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm in adults, and AGGRASTAT(®) (tirofiban HCl) a reversible GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor indicated for use in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Cardiome also commercializes Esmocard(®) and Esmocard Lyo(®) (esmolol hydrochloride), a short-acting beta-blocker used to control rapid heart rate in a number of cardiovascular indications, on behalf of their partner AOP Orphan Pharma in select European markets. Cardiome has also licensed TREVYENT(®), a development stage drug device combination that is under development for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension for Europe, the Middle East and for Canadian markets.

Cardiome is traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market (CRME) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (COM).

Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

Certain statements in this news release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation that may not be based on historical fact, including without limitation statements containing the words "believe", "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect" and similar expressions. Forward- looking statements may involve, but are not limited to, statements regarding the base shelf prospectus and registration statement being cleared by Canadian securities regulatory authorities, Cardiome's intention to take advantage of financing opportunities when market conditions are favourable and the filing of a prospectus supplement in the future. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Many such known risks, uncertainties and other factors are taken into account as part of our assumptions underlying these forward-looking statements and include, among others, the following: general economic and business conditions in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the other regions in which we operate; market demand; technological changes that could impact our existing products or our ability to develop and commercialize future products; competition; existing governmental legislation and regulations and changes in, or the failure to comply with, governmental legislation and regulations; availability of financial reimbursement coverage from governmental and third-party payers for products and related treatments; adverse results or unexpected delays in pre-clinical and clinical product development processes; adverse findings related to the safety and/or efficacy of our products or products; decisions, and the timing of decisions, made by health regulatory agencies regarding approval of our technology and products; the requirement for substantial funding to expand commercialization activities; and any other factors that may affect our performance. In addition, our business is subject to certain operating risks that may cause any results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this presentation to differ materially from our actual results. These operating risks include: our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to successfully complete pre-clinical and clinical development of our products; changes in our business strategy or development plans; intellectual property matters, including the unenforceability or loss of patent protection resulting from third-party challenges to our patents; market acceptance of our technology and products; our ability to successfully manufacture, market and sell our products; the availability of capital to finance our activities; and any other factors described in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission available at www.sec.gov and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. Given these risks, uncertainties and factors, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All forward-looking statements and information made herein are based on our current expectations and we undertake no obligation to revise or update such forward-looking statements and information to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.

SOURCE Cardiome Pharma Corp.