Targacept Announces Participation in Upcoming Conferences

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel NNR Therapeutic^TM, today announced that:

• J. Donald deBethizy, Ph.D., Targacept’s President and Chief Financial Officer, is scheduled to present at the BIO CEO and Investor Conference at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time; and
• Alan A. Musso, Targacept’s Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer, is scheduled to present at the Leerink Swann Global Healthcare Conference at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Each presentation will be webcast and accessible from the Investor Relations page of Targacept’s website, www.targacept.com. To ensure a timely connection to either webcast, it is recommended that users register at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. An archived version of each webcast will be available for replay on the Investor Calendar section of the Investor Relations page of Targacept’s website for at least two weeks following the corresponding event.

About Targacept

Targacept is developing a diverse pipeline of innovative NNR Therapeutics^TM for difficult-to-treat diseases and disorders of the nervous system. NNR Therapeutics selectively modulate the activity of specific neuronal nicotinic receptors, unique proteins that regulate vital biological functions that are impaired in various disease states. Targacept’s clinical pipeline includes five mid to late-stage product candidates, all representing first-in-class opportunities. Targacept leverages its scientific leadership and proprietary drug discovery platform Pentad^TM to generate novel small molecule product candidates to fuel its pipeline and attract significant collaborations with global pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.targacept.com.

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