SIRTRIS CEO CHRISTOPH WESTPHAL SELECTED BY BIOTECH CEOs AS OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL

CAMBRIDGE, MA [October 16, 2008] – Sirtris, a GSK company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, announced today that Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Sirtris, has been awarded Outstanding Individual by his CEO peers in the biotech community at The Laguna Biotech Meeting.

For more than two decades, The Biotech Meeting — an industry conference exclusively for CEOs of biotechnology companies organized by G. Steven Burrill, CEO, Burrill & Company — has recognized the best of biotech, celebrating industry leaders who have made significant contributions to biotech over the years.  For the awards, over 400 industry CEOs submit nominations and select their choice for Outstanding Individual.  

“We are pleased to present the Outstanding Individual Award to Christoph Westphal” said G. Steven Burrill, CEO, Burrill & Company.  “Dr. Westphal, who has now been inducted into the Biotech Hall of Fame, has an impressive track record in the biotech industry, including his recent success with Sirtris and past achievements as co-founder and CEO of Alnylam (NASDAQ: ALNY) and Momenta (NASDAQ: MNTA).” 

“There is no greater recognition than from one’s peers, and I personally congratulate Dr. Westphal on receiving this Award,” said Henri Termeer, CEO of Genzyme Corporation, and former recipient of the Outstanding Individual Award.  Former recipients also include:  John Martin, CEO of Gilead, Art Levinson, CEO of Genentech, Frank Baldoni Jr., CEO of Cephalon, and George Rathmann, former CEO of Amgen. 

“On behalf of all Sirtris employees, I am honored to accept this award.  This recognition from the top leaders in the biotech field is a testament to Sirtris and to GSK being at the forefront of therapeutics for diseases of aging and drug development,” said Dr. Westphal. 

ABOUT SIRTRIS
Sirtris, a GSK Company, is focused on discovering and developing proprietary, orally available, small molecule drugs with the potential to treat diseases associated with aging, including metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes.  Our drug candidates are designed to mimic certain beneficial health effects of calorie restriction, without requiring a change in eating habits, by activation of sirtuins, a recently discovered class of enzymes that the Company believes control the aging process.  Sirtris is engaged in human clinical trials for Type 2 Diabetes, and is planning similar trials in cancer, another age-related disease. Sirtris is also engaged in a human clinical trial for MELAS, a mitochondrial disorder.  The company’s headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts. On June 5, 2008, Sirtris was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline plc for over $720 million.  For more information, visit www.sirtrispharma.com