Toronto Stock Exchange Symbol: DND

    MISSISSAUGA, ON, Oct. 16 /CNW/ - Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX: DND)
today announced that Mr. William C. Garriock, B.Comm, MBA, has been appointed
Chairman of Cipher Pharmaceuticals' Board of Directors replacing Dr. John
Mull, M.D., FRCP(C), who will continue to serve as a member of the Board.
    "Since joining the Board of Directors in 2004, Mr. Garriock has played an
integral role in the corporate governance and development of Cipher," said Dr.
John Mull. "Mr. Garriock's extensive knowledge of the healthcare sector and
his senior level management experience provide an excellent resource for both
the Board and management team of Cipher to draw on in his new role as
Chairman."
    Mr. Garriock currently serves as the Chair of Cipher's Nominating and
Governance Committee and as a member of the Compensation and Audit Committees.
    Mr. Garriock brings a strong strategic, marketing, operational and
general management perspective to Cipher, shaped by his experiences with high
growth companies, start-ups, turnarounds, high and low margin businesses and
industry associations. He formerly held the positions of Chairman and
President of MDS SCIEX, the analytical instrument division of MDS Inc. and
Executive-at-Large for MDS Inc, a health and life sciences company. From 1993
to 1994, Mr. Garriock was Vice President and Managing Partner
(Pharmaceuticals) of MDS Health Ventures Inc., following 18 years as President
and CEO of Miles Canada Inc. (now Bayer Canada Inc.), a pharmaceutical,
diagnostics and consumer products company. Mr. Garriock is a graduate of the
University of British Columbia and obtained his MBA from Northwestern
University, Kellogg School of Business.

    About Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc.

    Cipher Pharmaceuticals is a drug development company focused on
commercializing novel formulations of successful, currently marketed molecules
using advanced drug delivery technologies. Cipher's strategy is to in-license
products that incorporate proven drug delivery technologies and advance them
through the clinical development and regulatory approval stages, after which
the products are out-licensed to international partners. Because Cipher's
products are based on proven technology platforms applied to currently
marketed drugs, they are expected to have lower approval risk, shorter
development timelines and significantly lower development costs. The Company's
lead compound, CIP-FENOFIBRATE, received final approval from the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration and Health Canada in the first quarter of 2006. Beginning
in the fourth quarter of 2007, the product will be marketed in the United
States by ProEthic Pharmaceuticals under the label Lipofen(TM). In addition,
Cipher is developing formulations of the pain reliever tramadol and the acne
treatment isotretinoin.

    Cipher is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol 'DND' and
has approximately 24 million shares outstanding. For more information, please
visit www.cipherpharma.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Statements made in this news release, other than those concerning
historical financial information, may be forward-looking and therefore subject
to various risks and uncertainties. Some forward-looking statements may be
identified by words like "may", "will", "anticipate", "estimate", "expect",
"intend", or "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Certain
material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking
statements and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or
implied in such statements. Factors that could cause results to vary include
those identified in the Company's Annual Information Form and other filings
with Canadian securities regulatory authorities, such as the applicability of
patents and proprietary technology; possible patent litigation; regulatory
approval of products in the Company's pipeline; changes in government
regulation or regulatory approval processes; government and third-party payer
reimbursement; dependence on strategic partnerships for product candidates and
technologies, marketing and R&D services; meeting projected drug development
timelines and goals; intensifying competition; rapid technological change in
the pharmaceutical industry; anticipated future losses; the ability to access
capital to fund R&D; and the ability to attract and retain key personnel. All
forward-looking statements presented herein should be considered in
conjunction with such filings. The Company does not undertake to update any
forward-looking statements; such statements speak only as of the date made.

    %SEDAR: 00020415E