Star Scientific Files First Quarter Financial Report

PETERSBURG, Va., May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Star Scientific, Inc.
(Nasdaq: STSI) filed its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended
March 31, 2009, today with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company
reported cash and cash equivalents of $19.7 million as of March 31, 2009
compared with $6.5 million for the fourth quarter 2008.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090317/STARSCIENTIFICLOGO )

Net sales for first quarter 2009, which totaled $.15 million, were essentially
unchanged compared with fourth quarter 2008 net sales of $.15 million. The
company believes that sales of the company's dissolvable smokeless tobacco
products, Ariva and Stonewall, were adversely impacted by an increase in the
Federal Excise tax on tobacco products contained in the SCHIP legislation,
which became effective April 1. Wholesale and retail operations were
reluctant to maintain inventory on hand beginning in late February, in an
effort to minimize taxable inventory as of the April 1 effective date. Early
second quarter sales data appear to indicate that dissolvable tobacco sales
have rebounded as wholesale and retail inventories are being restocked. Star
Scientific had a net loss of $5.2 million for first quarter 2009 compared with
a $5.5 million loss for first quarter 2008.

The company also announced that the jury trial in its patent infringement
lawsuit against RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) will commence with jury
selection on Monday, May 18. The trial will be held in US District Court, West
Lombard Street in Baltimore, MD, and Star anticipates that the jury trial will
last approximately three weeks.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Star
Scientific, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively, the
"Company") has tried, whenever possible, to identify these forward-looking
statements using words such as "anticipates", "believes", "estimates",
"expects", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions. These statements
reflect the Company's current beliefs and are based upon information currently
available to it. Accordingly, such forward-looking statements involve known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the
Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially
from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. These risks,
uncertainties and contingencies include, without limitation, the challenges
inherent in new product development initiatives, the uncertainties inherent in
the progress of scientific research, the Company's ability to raise additional
capital in the future necessary to maintain its business, potential disputes
concerning the Company's intellectual property, risks associated with
litigation regarding such intellectual property, potential delays in obtaining
any necessary government approvals of the Company's low-TSNA tobacco products,
market acceptance of the Company's new smokeless tobacco products, competition
from companies with greater resources than the Company, the Company's decision
not to join the Master Settlement Agreement ("MSA"), the effect of state
statutes adopted under the MSA, and the Company's dependence on key employees
and on its strategic relationships with Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
in light of its combination with RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, Inc. The impact
of potential litigation, if initiated against or by individual states that
have adopted the MSA, could be materially adverse to the Company.

Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no
assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will
not be material. See additional discussion under "Risk Factors" in the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, as
filed with the SEC on March 16, 2009, and other factors detailed from time to
time in the Company's other filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov.
The Company undertakes no obligation to update or advise upon any such
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date
of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

About Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals

Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals develops pharmaceutical products for treatment of
addiction and other neurological disorders. The company supports third-party
academic, educational and therapeutic advances in both these areas of
research. Rock Creek has scientific and research offices in Gloucester, MA.

About Star Scientific

Star Scientific is a technology-oriented tobacco company with a toxin
reduction mission. It is engaged in the development of dissolvable smokeless
tobacco products that deliver fewer carcinogenic toxins (principally tobacco
specific nitrosamines, or TSNAs), through the utilization of the innovative
StarCured(R) tobacco curing technology, and in sublicensing that technology to
others. Star Scientific has a Corporate and Sales Office in Petersburg, VA, an
Executive, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs office in Bethesda, MD, and
manufacturing facilities in Chase City, VA.

See Star's website at: http://www.starscientific.com

Contact:
Sara Troy Machir
Vice President, Communications & Investor Relations
smachir@starscientific.com
(301) 654-8300

SOURCE Star Scientific, Inc.

Sara Troy Machir, Vice President, Communications & Investor Relations of Star
Scientific, Inc., +1-301-654-8300, smachir@starscientific.com