DARA BioSciences, Inc. Announces New Board Chairman

DARA BioSciences, Inc. Announces New Board Chairman

October 25, 2007

    RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- DARA
BioSciences announced that current Director, President and
CEO Richard A. Franco, Sr. has been appointed Chairman of
the Board of Directors. The announcement was made following
the October 23 Board of Directors meeting. Steve Gorlin and
Thomas W. D'Alonzo previously served as Co-Chairmen, and
will remain as Directors of the Company. 

    Steve Gorlin, Co-Founder of DARA, said, "Given his
vast experience in the public and private business sectors
as well as his clinical/scientific and business management
knowledge, the Board of Directors felt Richard Franco was
the natural selection to direct the future of DARA
BioSciences." Thomas W. D'Alonzo further commented,
" DARA BioSciences has an exciting future. The change
is appropriate at this time given DARA's pending transition
to public company status through the pending merger with
Point Therapeutics. Steve and I feel that DARA BioSciences
as well as the stockholders will benefit from Richard's
focused efforts and Board leadership."
 
    Richard Franco has served as DARA's President, Chief
Executive Officer and a member of its Board of Directors
since 2005. Before joining DARA Mr. Franco co-founded
LipoScience, Inc., a private medical technology and
diagnostics company, and served as president, CEO, chairman
and director of that company from 1997 to 2001 and as its
executive chairman through 2002. Prior to founding
LipoScience, he was president, CEO and director of
Trimeris, Inc., Biopharmaceutical Company (TRMS). Mr.
Franco currently is a director of Salix Pharmaceuticals,
Ltd., (SLXP) a specialty pharmaceutical company; NeoMatrix,
LLC, a private medical technology company commercializing
screening systems for breast cancer detection; and the
Research Triangle Chapter of the National Association of
Corporate Directors (NACD). In addition, he served as a
director of EntreMed Inc. (ENMD), TriPath Imaging Inc
(TPTH) and Tranzyme Inc. and was a member of Glaxo Inc's
executive committee.  Mr. Franco earned a Bachelor of
Science degree in pharmacy from St. John's University and
did his graduate work in pharmaceutical marketing and
management at Long Island University. His early career was
spent with Eli Lilly and Company as well as Glaxo Inc.
where he held senior management positions.
 
    Upon accepting his new role as Chairman, Mr. Franco
commented, "DARA BioSciences exists due to the
foresight and relentless efforts of Steve Gorlin. With the
combined guidance of Steve and Tom D'Alonzo, the DARA Board
of Directors was able to deliver excellent results for
stockholders. For example, DARA has made two in-kind stock
distributions to stockholders within the past two and a
half years, which resulted from the successful
implementation of the Company's investment strategies and
business model. One of those investments was in Medivation,
Inc. (MDVN), which became a public company in 2005. Shares
in Medivation were distributed to DARA stockholders in
2005." 

    About DARA BioSciences, Inc.
 
    DARA BioSciences(TM), Inc. ("DARA") is a
Raleigh, North Carolina-based development-stage
pharmaceutical company that acquires promising therapeutic
molecules and medical technologies directly or through
investment in established companies. DARA focuses its
therapeutic development efforts on small molecules from
late preclinical development through phase 2 clinical
trials. DARA is developing a portfolio of therapeutic
candidates for neuropathic pain, metabolic diseases
including type 2 diabetes, and dermatological disorders. On
October 10, 2007, DARA announced an agreement to merge with
Point Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: POTP) and on October 17,
announced the completion of an in-licensing transaction
with Bayer Pharmaceuticals. 

    For more information please contact the Company at 919
-872-5578 or visit our web site at
http://www.darabiosciences.com . 

    Please Note: This press release contains
forward-looking statements regarding future events. These
statements are just predictions and are subject to risks
and uncertainties that could cause the actual events or
results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties
include receipt of stockholder approvals with regard to the
Point Therapeutics transaction and other risks that the
transaction might not close, integration of the two
companies, risks related to the potential lack of a liquid
market for the combined company's stock, reliance on key
employees, risks of testing of drug candidates for proof of
principle, risks of regulatory review and clinical trials,
competition, market acceptance for approved products, if
any, and intellectual property risks. 


    For more information, please contact:

     John C. Thomas
     Jr. Chief Financial Officer
     Tel:   [phone]

     Lynn H. Morris
     Sr. Manager
     Investor Relations & Corporate Operations
     Tel:   [phone]