Tranzyme Pharma Strengthens Clinical Development Team With the Appointment of Philippa A. Charlton, MD, MPH as Medical Director

Market Wire, May, 2008

Tranzyme Pharma today announced that Dr. Philippa Charlton has joined the Company as Medical Director, Clinical Development, a newly created position. In this new position, Dr. Charlton will play a pivotal role in the planning and execution of advanced clinical programs for the company's lead compounds, TZP-101 and TZP-102.

TZP-101 is an intravenous ghrelin agonist currently undergoing Phase IIb trials for the treatment of post-operative ileus (POI) and severe gastroparesis. TZP-102 is an oral ghrelin agonist currently in a Phase I study for the treatment of mild-to-moderate gastroparesis.

Dr. Charlton brings to Tranzyme more than 20 years of medical practice, research and drug development experience. Most recently, she was Medical Director, Clinical Pharmacology and Discovery Medicine, Metabolic Center of Excellence in Drug Discovery with GlaxoSmithKline. While at GSK, Dr. Charlton provided medical and scientific oversight of early clinical trials involving anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agents. She is board-certified in pediatrics (McGill University), board-certified in genetics (University of North Carolina), and board-eligible in endocrinology (University of North Carolina). Dr. Charlton received her B.A. in Literature from Duke University, her Master's in epidemiology from the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina, and her M.D. from the University of North Carolina, School of Medicine.

This expansion of Tranzyme's Clinical Development team follows the addition of Robert P. Venuti, as Director, Clinical Development in November 2007 to manage key clinical programs. Mr. Venuti formerly held numerous positions with other area biotech firms including: VP, Clinical Development with Entegrion, Director, Clinical Development of TransTech Pharma, and VP, Clinical Development of Aeolus Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Venuti earned his B.A. in biology from Dartmouth College and completed two years of graduate study at Dartmouth Medical School.

"The additions of Robert and Philippa to our team strengthen the company's ability to advance our proprietary pipeline of products," said Gordana Kosutic, M.D., Tranzyme's Vice President, Regulatory and Clinical Affairs. "With two GI prokinetic drug candidates currently in the clinic, these are exciting times at Tranzyme."

About Tranzyme Pharma

Tranzyme Pharma is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing breakthrough small molecule therapeutics for diseases where there is a significant unmet medical need. Tranzyme has developed a pipeline of novel drugs for the treatment of gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases. For more information, please visit: www.tranzyme.com .

Contacts: Vipin K. Garg, Ph.D. President and CEO (919) 313-4764 Email Contact Gordana Kosutic, M.D. VP, Regulatory & Clinical Affairs (919) 313-4765 Email Contact Susan S. Josselyn Corporate Communications Mgr (919) 313-4761 Email Contact