EVRY, France, December 19 /PRNewswire/ --

- Not for Distribution in the United States, Canada or Japan

Novagali Pharma an emerging pharmaceutical company specialized in ophthalmology announces today the appointment of Dr Mourad Amrane as Vice President of Medical Affairs. He is in charge both of the clinical product development and the medical marketing activities, which aim at defining and optimizing the product strategies.

Dr Amrane, an ophthalmologist by training, was since 2005 medical ophthalmology manager within Pfizer France where he was in charge of products intended to treat glaucoma. He began his career with hospital experience as ophthalmologist. In 1996, at the same time as this activity, he integrated the FDM Pharma company as medical doctor in charge of epidemiological studies and in 1998 was placed in charge of a phase III study. This experience will mark the beginning of eight years of activity in Clinical Research Organization which continued from 1999 with Gecem, where he managed several clinical programs of phases II, III and IV.

The appointment of Dr Mourad Amrane further reinforces the solid experience of the executive management of Novagali Pharma which was strengthened earlier this year by the appointments of Genevieve Garrigos (Communication and Human Resources) and Philippe Garcia (Finance) in April, and Sylvie Elia-Foeillet (Pharmaceutical Affairs) in June. "We are very happy to welcome Dr Amrane who will bring us all his experience in term of clinical development and will contribute significantly to the marketing and promotion of our products", said Jérôme Martinez, Chairman of the Managing Board (Directoire) of Novagali Pharma.

In addition, the company intends to pursue the implementation of a structure that will enable to promote and market its own products. An application was filed for "Operational Pharmaceutical Status" (Statut de laboratoire pharmaceutique exploitant) last November to AFSSAPS (French Drug Agency) which should be delivered to Novagali in the first half of 2008.

Novagali Pharma notes, as regards the development status of its product portfolio, that:

- Pre-marketing studies of Cationorm(R) should be finalized in January 2008 and presented the following month at ISOPT (International Symposium on Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics).

- Vekacia (R), indicated for the treatment of Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis , for which Novagali filed with the EMEA a European Marketing Application in July 2007, obtained in October of this year the status of orphan medicine for two new indications in Europe.

- The phase III clinical study of Nova22007 in dry eye should begin in the United States in the second quarter of 2008, and that of Nova21027 in glaucoma at the end of 2008.

- Finally, the phase II study of Nova22038 in post-operative ocular inflammation should begin in the last quarter of 2008.

The registration document (document de base) of Novagali Pharma, registered with the French market authority (Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)) on July 18, 2007 under number I.07-132 and its update (actualisation), filed with the AMF on September 12, 2007, are available free of charge from Novagali Pharma, 1 rue Pierre Fontaine, Bâtiment Genavenir IV, 91000 Evry, France, as well as on the AMF website (http://www.amf-france.org) and on the Novagali Pharma website (http://www.novagali.com).

The public attention is drawn to the chapter 4 of the registration document (document de base), entitled << Risk Factors >>.

This press release, the information contained herein, the registration document (document de base) and its update (actualisation) which is referred to, do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for shares in Novagali Pharma in any country. No offer to sell shares in Novagali Pharma has been made, nor will be made, prior to the official approval by AMF of a prospectus comprising the registration document (document de base), its update (actualisation) and an offering prospectus (note d'opération) which will be submitted to the AMF at a future date.

Shares of Novagali Pharma may not be sold in the United States of America (as defined under Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended) without registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. There will be no registration of any public offering of Novagali Pharma securities in the United States. This press release may not be distributed, either directly or indirectly, in the United States and does not constitute an offer to sell securities in the United States.

There is no offer in the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom, this information is directed only at investment professionals within the meaning of Article 19(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 of the United Kingdom (the Order) or persons who fall within Article 49(1) of the Order, or any other person to whom Novagali Pharma may legally transmit an invitation or solicitation to invest under the Order.

About Novagali Pharma : http://www.novagali.com

Novagali Pharma is an emerging ophthalmic pharmaceutical company based in the Génopôle biocluster in Evry (France), that develops innovative products for all segments of the eye. Thanks to its proprietary technology platforms Novasorb(R) and Eyeject(R), the company has developed a broad pipeline of 8 innovative products addressing main ocular conditions as well as orphan diseases. Most advanced products include Vekacia(R), an orphan product for treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis, Cationorm(R), a CE mark product for dry eye relief, and Nova22007, a product for the treatment of moderate-to-severe dry eye syndrome. Founded in 2000, Novagali Pharma has 46 employees.

Press contacts: Novagali Pharma, VP RH & Communication, Geneviève Garrigos, +33-1-69-87-40-20, genevieve.garrigos@novagali.com. Euro RSCG C&O: Emilie Dhélens, +33-1-58-47-95-62, emilie.dhelens@eurorscg.fr