SCYNEXIS Receives Merial Research Collaboration Milestone Payment


RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC--(Marketwire - December 13, 2007) - SCYNEXIS, Inc. announced today that it has earned a payment for meeting certain milestones in its multi-year research collaboration with Merial Limited, which began in 2005. SCYNEXIS, a premier drug discovery and development company, focuses considerable medicinal chemistry, advanced biological screening, bioanalytical and ADMET efforts towards Merial's animal health discovery efforts.

"Merial is excited about the continued success of our pharmaceutical discovery program and by the opportunity to continue working with SCYNEXIS to conduct further research regarding novel compounds that will be designed specifically to address animal health needs," said Dr. Peter Hanson, Head of Pharmaceutical R&D, of Merial.

"SCYNEXIS is pleased to have reached an important milestone in the discovery of innovative animal health solutions with our valued partner Merial," said SCYNEXIS President and CEO Dr. Yves Ribeill. "The achievement of this milestone demonstrates SCYNEXIS' ability to provide unique, proprietary technologies and expertise to accelerate the discovery of important pharmaceuticals."

About Merial

Merial is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health, well-being and performance of a wide range of animals. Merial employs approximately 5,000 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide. Its 2006 sales were nearly $2.2 billion. Merial Limited is a joint venture between Merck & Co., Inc. and sanofi-aventis. For more information, please see www.merial.com.

About SCYNEXIS

SCYNEXIS is a premier drug discovery and development company headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. SCYNEXIS' mission is to be the leader in delivering effective and innovative drug pipeline solutions to its pharmaceutical partners.

SCYNEXIS research teams integrate medicinal chemistry, advanced biological screening, computational chemistry, bioanalysis and analytical chemistry and use powerful, proprietary technologies such as the HEOS® Software Suite, MEDCHEM-FACTORY® and KIT™ Kinase Inhibitor Technology to advance molecules to candidate selection. SCYNEXIS development teams have been tailored to be especially effective in moving customer projects from the discovery phase to the clinic. SCYNEXIS process chemistry and bioanalytical departments operate under current GMP/GLP guidelines and have a strong track record of success. www.scynexis.com

®HEOS and MEDCHEM-FACTORY are registered trademarks of SCYNEXIS, Inc. and ™KIT Kinase Inhibitor Technology is a trademark of SCYNEXIS, Inc.

Contact Information: Contact: Rick Rountree SCYNEXIS 919-878-1144 Kelle Straw Merial 678-638-3690