NPS Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: NPSP) today announced that its Chief Financial Officer, Luke M. Beshar, CPA, has been honored as New Jersey Public Company CFO of the Year by NJBIZ, New Jersey's only weekly business journal covering the entire state.

?We're all very proud of Luke,? said Francois Nader, MD, NPS Pharmaceuticals CEO. ?Luke's financial vision and leadership continue to significantly contribute to NPS' success and to the strengthening of our financial structure. This award is certainly a well-deserved honor. We are glad to see he is getting the recognition he deserves for his achievements here at NPS.?

Since Mr. Beshar became CFO in November 2007, NPS has secured nearly $150M of new capital. Mr. Beshar has reorganized and built a high-caliber finance team and established a disciplined financial planning and analysis function. With two drugs in Phase 3 development for orphan indications, a strong royalty-based portfolio of four commercial-stage assets, and a healthy balance sheet and solid financial runway, NPS is well-positioned to deliver a number of value-driving catalysts to its stakeholders over the next 12 to 15 months.

The CFO of the Year awards program celebrates New Jersey's financial executives at all levels who contribute to the success of New Jersey's economic growth and stability. Finalists were selected in seven categories: Public Company, Private Company with revenues over $100MM, Private Company with revenues up to $100MM, Nonprofit CFO – Small (24 or fewer employees), Nonprofit CFO – Large (25 or more employees), Best Turnaround Specialist and Best Growth Manager.

Finalists and winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges including: Bill Carson, Hudson Ventures; John Martinson, Edison Venture Fund and Denis C. Picard, Alvarez & Marsal Technology Asset Management Services, LLC.

In addition to the awards ceremony, honorees will be highlighted in a special November supplement to NJBIZ. The online version may be viewed at www.njbiz.com/supplements. For more information about the NJBIZ CFO of the Year awards program please visit www.njbiz.com/events.

About NPS Pharmaceuticals

NPS Pharmaceuticals is developing new treatment options for patients with rare gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders. The company is currently advancing two Phase 3 registration programs. Teduglutide, a proprietary analog of GLP-2, is being evaluated as GATTEX® in a Phase 3 registration study known as STEPS for parenteral nutrition dependent short bowel syndrome and is in preclinical development for pediatric indications and chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal mucositis. NPSP558 (parathyroid hormone 1-84 [rDNA origin] injection) is being evaluated in a Phase 3 registration study known as REPLACE as a hormone replacement therapy for hypoparathyroidism. NPS complements its proprietary programs with a royalty-based portfolio of products and product candidates that includes agreements with Amgen, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Nycomed, and Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical.

?NPS?, ?NPS Pharmaceuticals?, and ?GATTEX? are the company's registered trademarks. All other trademarks, trade names or service marks appearing in this press release are the property of their respective owners.

Statements made in this press release, which are not historical in nature, constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the company's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks associated to the company's business include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with any failure by the company to successfully complete its preclinical and clinical studies within the projected time frames or not at all, the risk of not gaining marketing approvals for GATTEX and NPSP558, the risks associated with the company's strategy, as well as other risk factors described in the company's periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs. All information in this press release is as of the date of this release and NPS undertakes no duty to update this information.

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Susan M. Mesco, 908-450-5516
smesco@npsp.com