Chelsea Therapeutics Added to Russell 3000 and Russell 2000 Indexes

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 29, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. announced that it was added to the Russell 3000(r) and Russell 2000(r) Indexes when Russell Investment Group reconstituted its family of U.S. indexes after stock market close on June 26, 2009.

The Russell family of U.S. indexes is designed to be a comprehensive representation of the investable U.S. equity market and is reconstituted annually. The Russell 3000 Index measures the performance of the largest 3000 U.S. companies representing approximately 98 percent of the investable U.S. equity market. Membership in the Russell 3000 Index results in automatic inclusion in either the large-cap Russell 1000(r) Index or the widely used small-cap Russell 2000. The Russell 2000 Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe and includes approximately 2000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership.

Russell indexes are widely used by managers for index funds and as benchmarks for both passive and active investment strategies. $4 trillion in assets currently are benchmarked to Russell indexes, and investment managers who oversee these funds purchase shares of member stocks according to that company's weighting in the particular index.

About Chelsea Therapeutics

Chelsea Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical development company that acquires and develops innovative products for the treatment of a variety of human diseases. Chelsea's most advanced drug candidate, Droxidopa, is an orally active synthetic precursor of norepinephrine initially being developed for the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension. Currently approved and marketed in Japan for the treatment of symptomatic orthostatic hypotension, freezing gait in Parkinson's disease and intradialytic hypotension, Droxidopa has accumulated over 15 years of proven safety and efficacy in Japan. In addition to Droxidopa, Chelsea is also developing a portfolio of metabolically inert oral antifolate molecules engineered to have potent anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activity to treat a range of immunological disorders, including two clinical stage product candidates: CH-1504 and CH-4051. Preclinical and clinical data suggests superior safety and tolerability, as well as increased potency versus methotrexate (MTX), currently the leading antifolate treatment and standard of care for a broad range of abnormal cell proliferation diseases including RA.

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 our need to raise operating capital, our history of losses, risks and costs of drug development, risk of regulatory approvals, our reliance on our lead drug candidates droxidopa and CH-1504, reliance on collaborations and licenses, intellectual property risks, competition, market acceptance for our products if any are approved for marketing, reliance on key personnel including specifically Dr. Pedder.

CONTACT:  Chelsea Therapeutics
          Nick Riehle, Chief Financial Officer
            704-341-1516 x101
          Investor/Media Relations
          Kathryn McNeil
            718-788-2856