Cornerstone Therapeutics Announces Closing of Chiesi Transaction

Company Intends to Report Second Quarter 2009 Financial Results on August 11,
2009

CARY, N.C., July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc.
(Nasdaq: CRTX), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring,
developing and commercializing significant products primarily for the
respiratory and related markets, today announced that it has closed the
strategic transaction with Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, a leading European
pharmaceutical company headquartered in Parma, Italy. As a result of this
transaction, Cornerstone received an exclusive 10-year license with renewable
rights for the U.S. commercial rights to Chiesi's Curosurf(R) product, the
world-leading treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
("FDA") for Respiratory Distress Syndrome in premature infants, and $15.5
million in cash. Cornerstone also received first right of offer on all new
products and technology Chiesi intends to market in the U.S. Chiesi became
the controlling stockholder of Cornerstone as a result of the Company's
issuance of approximately 12.2 million new shares in connection with the
consummation of the transaction and Chiesi's related purchase of shares from
certain of the Company's executives.

Cornerstone also announced today that the Company will host a conference call
at 8:30 AM ET on Tuesday, August 11, 2009, to discuss its financial results
for the quarter ended June 30, 2009. Management will also provide an update
on the Cornerstone's strategy, operations and product development pipeline.
The Company intends to issue its financial results press release before the
market opens on August 11th.

To participate in the live conference call, please dial 866-510-0710 (U.S.
callers) or 617-597-5378 (international callers), and provide passcode
99519413. A live webcast of the call will also be available through the
Investor Relations section of the Company's website. Please allow extra time
prior to the webcast to register, download and install any necessary audio
software.

The webcast will be archived for 30 days, and a telephone replay of the call
will be available for seven days, beginning at 11:30 AM ET on August 11th at
888-286-8010 (U.S. callers) or 617-801-6888 (international callers), passcode
84986553.

About Cornerstone Therapeutics
Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: CRTX), headquartered in Cary, N.C., is
a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing and
commercializing significant products primarily for the respiratory and related
markets. The Company currently promotes multiple marketed products in the
United States to respiratory-focused physicians and key retail pharmacies with
its specialty sales force. The Company also has a late-stage clinical pipeline
with a recent regulatory submission filing and four additional regulatory
approval submissions targeted within the next three years. Key elements of the
Company's strategy are to in-license or acquire rights to underpromoted,
patent-protected, branded respiratory or related pharmaceutical products, or
late-stage product candidates; implement life cycle management strategies to
maximize the potential value and competitive position of the Company's
currently marketed products, newly acquired products and product candidates
that are currently in development; grow product revenue through the Company's
specialty sales force which is focused on the respiratory and related markets;
and maintain and strengthen the intellectual property position of the
Company's currently marketed products, newly acquired products and product
candidates.

Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this press release regarding the progress and timing of our
product development programs and related trials; our future opportunities; our
strategy, future operations, financial position, future revenues and projected
costs; our management's prospects, plans and objectives; and any other
statements about management's future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or
prospects constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including, without
limitation, statements containing the words "anticipate," "believe," "could,"
"estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "should," "target," "will,"
"would" and similar expressions) should also be considered to be
forward-looking statements.

There are a number of important factors that could cause our actual results or
events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking
statements, including: risks related to our ability to develop and maintain
the necessary sales, marketing, supply chain, distribution and manufacturing
capabilities to commercialize our products, including difficulties relating to
the manufacture of Zyflo((R)) CR tablets; the possibility that the Food and
Drug Administration (the FDA) will take enforcement action against us or one
or more of our marketed drugs that do not have FDA-approved marketing
applications; patient, physician and third-party payor acceptance of our
products as safe and effective therapeutic products; our heavy dependence on
the commercial success of a relatively small number of currently marketed
products; our ability to maintain regulatory approvals to market and sell our
products that do have FDA-approved marketing applications; our ability to
enter into additional strategic licensing, collaboration or co-promotion
transactions on favorable terms, if at all; our ability to maintain compliance
with NASDAQ listing requirements; adverse side effects experienced by patients
taking our products; difficulties relating to clinical trials, including
difficulties or delays in the completion of patient enrollment, data
collection or data analysis; the results of preclinical studies and clinical
trials with respect to our products under development and whether such results
will be indicative of results obtained in later clinical trials; our ability
to satisfy FDA and other regulatory requirements; our ability to obtain,
maintain and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for our
products and product candidates; and the other factors described in Item 1A
(Risk Factors) of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on May 7, 2009 and other filings that we
make with the SEC. If one or more of these factors materialize, or if any
underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance or
achievements may vary materially from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

In addition, the statements in this press release reflect our expectations and
beliefs as of the date of this release. We anticipate that subsequent events
and developments will cause our expectations and beliefs to change. However,
while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements publicly at some
point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Our
forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any
acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, business development transactions, joint
ventures or investments that we may make or enter into, except that in
particular circumstances as specifically indicated we may address the
potential impact of our transaction with Chiesi. These forward-looking
statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date
after the date of this release.

Important Information
In connection with the transaction with Chiesi, Cornerstone has filed with the
SEC a preliminary proxy statement and other documents regarding proposed
amendments to Cornerstone's certificate of incorporation that will be voted
upon at a special meeting of stockholders on August 27, 2009. Security holders
are urged to read the proxy statement carefully because it contains important
information about Cornerstone and the proposed amendments. A definitive proxy
statement will be sent to stockholders of Cornerstone seeking their approval
of proposed amendments. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy
of the definitive proxy statement (when available) and other documents filed
by Cornerstone with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or from
Cornerstone's website at www.crtx.com. The definitive proxy statement (when
available) and other relevant documents may also be obtained free of cost by
directing a request to Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc., 1255 Crescent Green
Drive, Suite 250, Cary, North Carolina 27518, attention: Chief Financial
Officer.

Participants in Solicitation
Cornerstone and its directors, members of management and other employees may
be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the
stockholders of Cornerstone in connection with the strategic transaction with
Chiesi. Information about Cornerstone and its directors and executive officers
can be found in Cornerstone's proxy statement and Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2008 previously filed with the SEC. Additional
information regarding the interests of those persons may be obtained by
reading the proxy statement relating to the proposed amendments.

Zyflo CR((R)) is a registered trademark of Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc.
Curosurf((R)) is a trademark of Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA.
Investor Relations Contacts:
FD
Evan Smith/Brian Ritchie
212-850-5600
evan.smith@fd.com/brian.ritchie@fd.com

Media Relations Contact:
FD
Robert Stanislaro
212-850-5600
Robert.stanislaro@fd.com

SOURCE Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc.

Investors, Evan Smith, evan.smith@fd.com, or Brian Ritchie,
brian.ritchie@fd.com, or Media Relations, Robert Stanislaro,
robert.stanislaro@fd.com, all of FD, +1-212-850-5600