NVENTA APPOINTS JOHN VARIAN TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

-- New Member Complements Board With Significant Financial and Operational Expertise --

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 7, 2008

San Diego, California USA - Nventa Biopharmaceuticals Corporation (TSX:NVN) announced today the appointment of John Varian to the company’s board of directors. Mr. Varian currently serves as the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Aryx Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of oral therapeutics for chronic
disease.

“We are very pleased to welcome John to Nventa’s board,” commented Gregory M. McKee, president and chief executive officer at Nventa. “His extensive experience in helping companies establish strategic direction, raise venture and public capital, and negotiate successful alliances and acquisitions should be extremely beneficial to Nventa as it grows internally and continues its path to commercializing its first product.”

Prior to joining Aryx Therapeutics, Mr. Varian was chief financial officer of Genset S.A., where he was a key member of the team negotiating the company’s sale to Serono S.A. in 2002. From October 1998 to April 2000, Mr. Varian served as senior vice president, finance and administration of Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., joining the company as part of its acquisition of Neurex Corporation. Prior to the acquisition, he served as Neurex Corporation’s chief financial officer from June 1997 until October 1998. Mr. Varian is a founding member of the Bay Area Bioscience Center and a former chairman of the Association of Bioscience Financial Officers International Conference.

“I am proud to join the board at Nventa Biopharmaceuticals, a truly innovative company that is working to bring much needed therapeutic options to patients affected by HPV-related diseases,” stated Mr. Varian. “As someone who has long been closely involved in the drug discovery and development industry, I believe that by sharing my expertise with the company, I can play a role in supporting its ongoing success.”

About Nventa Biopharmaceuticals Corporation:
Nventa is developing innovative therapeutics for the treatment of viral infections and cancer, with a focus on diseases caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The Company is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NVN.

For more information about Nventa Biopharmaceuticals Corporation, please visit the Company’s website located at www.nventacorp.com.

Contact:

Download a PDF file of this release