Corvas appoints Picker as executive vice president and chief operating officer.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 7, 1996--Corvas International Inc. (NNM:CVAS) Wednesday announced the appointment of Donald H. Picker, Ph.D., 50, as executive vice president and chief operating officer.

In this newly created position, Picker will be responsible for leading Corvas' scientific operations and accelerating product development programs.

Picker has more than 20 years' experience in the pharmaceutical industry working in diverse therapeutic fields. Since 1991, he has served as senior vice president, research and development, for Genta Inc., a San Diego biopharmaceutical firm.

During his tenure at Genta, he introduced the first oligonucleotide drug targeting lymphoma into Phase I/II trials and led efforts that resulted in filing multiple INDs and conducting advanced clinical trials for several other products. He also oversaw collaborations with multiple companies, including The Procter & Gamble Co., Wyeth Ayerst, Baxter, and many academic labs.

Previously he was worldwide vice president for biomedical research and development at Johnson Matthey Inc. At Johnson Matthey, Picker led the team which brought Paraplatin, a leading anti-cancer drug, into the clinic and played a key role in filing the NDA in collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. Picker's unit also brought drugs into the clinic in alliances with SmithKline Beecham, Sandoz Ltd., and Ortho Pharmaceuticals.

David S. Kabakoff, Ph.D., Corvas' president and chief executive officer, stated, "Dr. Picker has a track record of advancing discoveries from the lab to clinical development and commercialization and extensive experience in initiating and managing strategic alliances with major pharmaceutical firms, which complements the skills of our current management and scientific team.

"At Corvas, Don will play a leading role in developing and bringing our products to the market, establishing additional corporate partnerships and using our existing technology and expertise in drug discovery, thrombosis and vascular biology to expand research into related areas.

"Don is joining Corvas at a particularly appropriate time, as we have just completed an important financing and are initiating the development of our next product candidate from the NAP anti-clotting agent family."

Picker received his B.S. in chemistry from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the State University of New York at Albany.

Corvas International is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the design and development of a new generation of therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of major cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.

Corvas is currently collaborating with Schering-Plough Corp. in the development of oral thrombin inhibitors for chronic cardiovascular disease, with Pfizer Inc. to develop neutrophil inhibitory factor (NIF) as a possible stroke therapy, and has product licensing agreements with Ortho Diagnostic Systems Inc. (a Johnson & Johnson company) and Centocor Inc. -0-

NOTE: For background information on Corvas' technology and

product development programs, please contact Angela Hartley,

manager, shareholder relations, at Corvas, at 619/455-9800.

For information on Corvas International Inc. via facsimile at

no cost, call 800/PRO-INFO and enter ticker symbol CVAS.

CONTACT: Corvas International Inc., San Diego

John E. Crawford or Angela L. Hartley, 619/455-9800

e-mail: [e-mail]