Focus Placed on Voltage-Gated Calcium Programs

    LA JOLLA, Calif., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- SIBIA Neurosciences, Inc.
(Nasdaq: SIBI) reported results at the 28th Annual Society for Neuroscience
Meeting, held in Los Angeles November 7-12, 1998 demonstrating progress in
exploiting their unique technology platform for neurological and psychiatric
disorders.
    SIBIA scientists reported on the identification of a long-sought human
gene coding for a member of a novel class of calcium channels called low
voltage-activated (LVA) channels.  For many years scientists have believed
that LVA channels are involved in controlling the excitability of neurons,
which has implications for the control of epilepsy and pain.
    A second key presentation reported progress toward understanding migraine.
An inherited form of migraine called familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) has
been linked to four mutations in the gene coding for a subtype of calcium
channel called alpha oneA.  By studying each of these mutations, SIBIA
scientists and collaborators were able to show that all four are predicted to
change the function of alpha oneA calcium channels in nerve cells.  "These
findings suggest that more common forms of migraine may be associated with
alterations in activity of alpha oneA channels, and that selective modulators
of these channels might aid migraine sufferers," said Dr. Kenneth Stauderman,
Project Leader for Calcium Channels.
    SIBIA has an extensive portfolio of proprietary drug discovery targets
encompassing gene families encoding voltage and ligand-gated ion channels
including voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), nicotinic cholinergic
receptors (nAChRs) and excitatory amino acid receptors (EAARs).  Together,
SIBIA has 33 issued and 49 pending patents for genes and drug screening of
these human brain ion channels.  "SIBIA will continue to exploit the use of
these calcium channels to discover drugs for epilepsy, pain, migraine and
other major disorders of the nervous system," stated Dr. Jeffrey McKelvy,
SIBIA's Chief Scientific Officer.
    SIBIA Neurosciences, Inc. is engaged in the discovery and development of
novel small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative,
neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders, many of which have large patient
populations and represent critical unmet medical needs.  SIBIA is a leader in
the development of proprietary drug discovery platforms that combine key tools
necessary for modern drug discovery, including genomics, high throughput
screening, advanced combinatorial chemistry techniques and pharmacology.  The
Company's proprietary molecular targets and drug candidates, together with its
drug discovery technologies and research expertise, have enabled the Company
to establish several corporate partnerships, which include Eli Lilly &
Company, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd.,
and multiple technology licensing arrangements.

    This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties.  As a result, actual results could differ materially from
those discussed herein.  These risks and uncertainties include SIBIA's
reliance on corporate partnerships and ability to enter into new corporate
partnerships, whether SIBIA will be able to meet its development goals with
respect to its drug candidates and proprietary targets, SIBIA's early stage of
development, the new and uncertain state of SIBIA's technologies, SIBIA's
future capital needs and the uncertainty of receiving additional funding,
uncertainties regarding patents and proprietary rights, and other research,
development and market risks.  These and other risks and uncertainties are
more fully set forth in SIBIA's most recently filed Forms 10-Q and 10-K.

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