Toronto Stock Exchange Symbol: DND

    MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 1 /CNW/ - Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX: DND)
today announced that it has received a written response from the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its appeal of the Agency's Approvable
Letter for CIP-TRAMADOL ER, Cipher's extended-release formulation of tramadol.
In the response, the Acting Director of the Office of Drug Evaluation II,
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research supported the Division's approvable
action.
    Cipher is currently evaluating the response and is expecting to have
further dialogue with the FDA in the near future, following which the Company
will determine its next step, which may include appealing the decision to the
next supervisory level at the FDA (represented by Dr. John Jenkins, Director,
Office of New Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research).

    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. The
product is being 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