Gary Shearman, Ph.D. Joins Board of Artisan Pharma, Inc.

Waltham, Mass, October 23, 2007 - Artisan Pharma, Inc. today announced that Gary Shearman, Ph.D. has joined the board of directors of Artisan Pharma, Inc., bringing with him more than 25 years of senior management and leadership experience in the pharmaceutical and venture capital industries.

Dr. Shearman is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Neuro-Hitech, Inc. (www.neurohitech.com) (NASDAQ:NHPI), a public biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative new drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nereus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.nereuspharm.com), a privately held biotechnology company. From 2001 - 2007, Dr. Shearman was Chairman and Managing Director of HBM Advisors USA, LLC, a provider of investment advisory services for HBM Partners(Cayman) Ltd. the investment manager for all HBM vehicles including HBM Bioventures and HBM Biocapital. Prior to his tenure at HBM, Dr. Shearman held a number of senior positions in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as Senior Vice President of Pharmaceutical Drug Development and Deputy Head of Research and Development at Rhone Poulenc Rorer (now Sanofi-Aventis). While at Rhone Poulenc, he was intimately involved with the development of LOVENOX®, the low molecular weight heparin anticoagulant, experience which will be fully leveraged at Artisan.

Commenting on Dr. Shearman's appointment, Jeffrey D. Wager, M.D., President and CEO of Artisan, said, "Dr. Shearman brings a unique combination of international drug development and venture capital experience which will be invaluable in guiding the development of our lead product ART-123, the building of our portfolio and the shaping our corporate strategy going forward. We are very pleased to have him join the Artisan board."

Philippe Chambon, M.D., Ph.D., Managing Director of New Leaf Venture Partners, a key investor in Artisan, continued, "We are honored to have Dr. Shearman join our board. His tremendous clinical development expertise and management skills will be instrumental to the Company as it continues its development."

About ART-123
ART-123 is a novel, recombinant, soluble thrombomodulin for the treatment of DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation) in sepsis. ART-123 uniquely targets both anti-coagulant and systemic anti-inflammatory pathways, and holds great promise as a self-regulating treatment of DIC in sepsis. A regulatory submission for approval of ART-123 in the treatment of DIC has been filed in Japan. Artisan holds all development and commercial rights for ART-123 outside Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea, and has initiated an 800 patient, multinational, Phase 2b trial in DIC in sepsis.

About Artisan Pharma
Artisan Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing best-in-class acute care therapeutics to patients. Artisan's strategy is to acquire clinical stage or marketed drugs and develop them for markets with clear unmet medical needs.
Website: www.artisanpharma.net


About DIC in Sepsis
Almost 2 million patients in the United States and Europe suffer from sepsis annually, with up to 30% of them developing or being at high risk of developing DIC. For those that do, prognosis is poor. DIC is a severe condition in which widespread microthrombi formation ultimately contributes to organ dysfunction and death. This market is estimated at over $2 billion and is increasing due to the growing incidence of sepsis in the industrialized world.


About Artisan's ART-123 Phase 2b Trial in DIC in Sepsis
The phase 2b study entitled "A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase-2b Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy Effects of ART-123 on Subjects with Sepsis and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation" will enroll 800 subjects in over 140 sites worldwide. For further information, please refer to http://clinicaltrials.gov/

Media Contact
Jennifer Greenleaf
MacDougall Biomedical Communications
(508) 647-0209

For Artisan Pharma
Jeffrey D. Wager, M.D.
(781) 419-1920