NPS Pharmaceuticals president receives Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Award in Life Sciences category

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: NPSP), a biopharmaceutical company pioneering and delivering therapies that transform the lives of patients with rare diseases worldwide, today announced that president and chief executive officer Francois Nader, M.D. has received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2013 Award in the Life Sciences category in New Jersey. Dr. Nader was presented with the award at a special gala event on June 13 at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick, New Jersey.

“It's an exciting moment for the entire NPS team, which has achieved so much and works so hard each and every day to bring innovative therapeutics to patients suffering from rare diseases around the world.”

"I'm truly honored to accept this award and be recognized by Ernst & Young among the successful entrepreneurs in New Jersey," said Dr. Nader. "It's an exciting moment for the entire NPS team, which has achieved so much and works so hard each and every day to bring innovative therapeutics to patients suffering from rare diseases around the world."

Dr. Nader joined NPS in 2006 and was appointed president and chief executive officer in March 2008. He led the company's transformation into a global commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovative treatments to patients with rare diseases. During his tenure, Dr. Nader created a values-driven culture-by-design that contributed to NPS being named as one of the top 100 companies to work for in New Jersey for two consecutive years. Earlier this year, NPS launched Gattex® (teduglutide [rDNA Origin]) for injection, its first medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Commission. The company is now preparing to seek approval for its second orphan drug candidate, Natpara® (recombinant human parathyroid hormone (rhPTH [1-84]). In March, Dr. Nader established NPS as a global commercial rare disease company by reacquiring the worldwide rights to its two lead drugs from Takeda GmbH. During Dr. Nader's five-year tenure as president and chief executive officer, his focus on value creation has significantly contributed to a seven-fold increase in the company's market capitalization.

As a New Jersey award winner, Dr. Nader will next compete at the national level. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 16. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum^®, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.