(Morrisville, N.C.) Furiex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: FURX) announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on May 18, 2010, for the method for treatment of premature ejaculation using dapoxetine. Furiex developed dapoxetine in collaboration with Alza Corporation and its affiliates. U.S. Patent No. 7,718,705 includes claims directed to dosing dapoxetine on an as-needed basis, capturing the advantage dapoxetine has over other compounds in the same class, which require a pre-loading period for efficacy. The patent will expire in 2022. Furiex has received grants of similar patent claims in over 45 countries around the world including major and emerging markets.

Alza’s affiliate, Janssen-Cilag, currently markets dapoxetine under the trademark, PRILIGYTM, in a number of markets outside the United States. PRILIGYTM has been launched in seven countries in the EU including Sweden, Austria, Finland, Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal, as well as Mexico, South Korea and New Zealand.

“The method claims of this patent are valuable because, unlike other SSRIs, dapoxetine’s effects on premature ejaculation are evident with one dose, allowing dapoxetine to be dosed on an ‘as needed’ basis,” said June Almenoff, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief medical officer of Furiex. “Issuance of the 7,718,705 patent extends patent protection for the treatment of premature ejaculation using dapoxetine for 12 years.”

About Furiex Pharmaceuticals

Furiex Pharmaceuticals is a drug development collaboration company using innovative clinical development design to accelerate and increase value of partnered drug programs by advancing them through the drug discovery and development process in a cost-efficient manner. Development programs are designed and driven by a core team with extensive drug development experience. The company collaborates with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and has a strong, diversified product portfolio and pipeline with multiple therapeutic candidates including late-stage assets and one product on the market. The company’s mission is to develop innovative medicines faster and at less cost, reducing the expense of health care globally while providing life-improving therapies for patients. For more information, visit www.furiex.com.