Orexigen(R) Therapeutics Announces Jay Hagan as Senior Vice President, Corporate...

Orexigen(R) Therapeutics Announces Jay Hagan as Senior Vice President,
Corporate Development and Strategy

SAN DIEGO, May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Orexigen(R) Therapeutics, Inc.
(Nasdaq: OREX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of
obesity, today announced that Jay Hagan has joined the organization as Senior
Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy.

"Jay brings over 15 years of biotechnology operating and business development
experience in a variety of roles including leadership of a significant number
of important transactions. We are excited to add someone of Jay's breadth of
experience to the Orexigen executive team, " said Michael Narachi, President
and Chief Executive Officer. "His solid background will be invaluable as we
focus on partnership opportunities and position the organization to
successfully manage our operations, continue our development activities and
execute on our commercialization plans for Contrave(R) and Empatic(TM)."

In his role, Jay will lead corporate development at Orexigen, notably focusing
on partnership opportunities and commercialization strategy for lead products
Contrave (naltrexone sustained release (SR)/bupropion SR), which is on track
for an NDA submission to the FDA in the first half of 2010, and Empatic
(zonisamide SR/bupropion SR), which is in the later stages of Phase 2 clinical
development.

"I'm incredibly excited to join the Orexigen team at this pivotal time for the
Company," said Jay. "Orexigen possesses a unique opportunity among small
biotechnology companies. I look forward to leveraging my extensive experience
in corporate and partnership strategy to further the Company's business
development efforts."

Prior to joining Orexigen, Jay was a Partner at Groundswell Advisors, a
biotechnology consulting firm, providing guidance and operational execution in
corporate strategy, commercialization, financing and partnership
opportunities. While at Groundswell Advisors, he served as acting chief
executive officer of Unity Pharma, consulted to numerous small biotech
companies, and served on the board of directors of Seredigm Corp. Prior to
establishing Groundswell, Jay spent ten years at Amgen Inc. where he served in
various senior business development roles, including founder and Managing
Director of Amgen Ventures, and earlier as head of Corporate Development. His
track record includes such notable completed transactions as the acquisitions
of Immunex and Tularik as well as numerous other business development efforts
totaling over $15 billion in value. Before joining Amgen, Jay spent five
years in the bioengineering labs at Genzyme and Advanced Tissue Sciences.

He received an M.B.A. at Northeastern University and a B.S. in Physiology and
Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego.

About Orexigen Therapeutics
Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the
treatment of obesity. The Company's lead combination product candidates
targeted for obesity are Contrave(R), which is in Phase 3 clinical trials, and
Empatic(TM), which is in the later stages of Phase 2 clinical development.
Each product candidate is designed to act on a specific group of neurons in
the central nervous system with the goal of achieving appetite suppression and
sustained weight loss. Further information about the Company can be found at
http://www.orexigen.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Orexigen cautions you that statements included in this press release that are
not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words
such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "indicates," "will,"
"intends," "potential," "suggests," "assuming," "designed" and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These
statements are based on the Company's current beliefs and expectations. These
forward-looking statements include statements regarding the enrollment, timing
and completion of clinical trials of Contrave, and the potential to obtain
regulatory approval for, and effectively treat obesity with, Contrave or
Empatic. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded
as a representation by Orexigen that any of its plans will be achieved.
Actual results may differ from those set forth in this release due to the risk
and uncertainties inherent in the Orexigen business, including, without
limitation: the clinical trials of Contrave may produce negative or
inconclusive results, or may be inconsistent with previously conducted
clinical trials, and the FDA may not agree with the Company's interpretation
of efficacy and safety results; the potential that earlier clinical trials may
not be predictive of future results; Contrave may not receive regulatory
approval on a timely basis or at all; the FDA may require Orexigen to complete
additional clinical, non-clinical or other requirements prior to the
submission or the approval of NDAs for either product candidate; the potential
for adverse safety findings relating to Contrave to delay or prevent
regulatory approval or commercialization, or result in product liability
claims; the third parties on whom Orexigen relies to assist with the
development programs for Contrave, including clinical investigators, contract
laboratories, clinical research organizations and manufacturing organizations,
may not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet
expected deadlines, and the quality or accuracy of the data or materials
generated by such third parties may be of insufficient quality to include in
the Company's regulatory submissions; the ability of Orexigen and its
licensors to obtain, maintain and successfully enforce adequate patent and
other intellectual property protection of Contrave; and other risks described
in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements,
which speak only as of the date hereof, and Orexigen undertakes no obligation
to revise or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after
the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their
entirety by this cautionary statement. This caution is made under the safe
harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995.

SOURCE Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc.

Graham Cooper of Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc., +1-858-875-8600, or Lori Rosen,
+1-212-301-7173, for Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc.