SAN DIEGO--- Somaxon Pharmaceuticals Names Brian Dorsey Vice President of Manufacturing and Program Management

Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOMX) today announced the appointment of Brian Dorsey as Vice President of Manufacturing and Program Management, a newly created position. Mr. Dorsey was previously the company's Executive Director, Manufacturing and Program Management.

"We are extremely pleased to promote Brian to our executive management team," said Ken Cohen, Somaxon president and CEO. "We are confident that his range of skills and management expertise will continue to serve Somaxon well as we build our company."

Prior to joining Somaxon in March of 2005, Mr. Dorsey served as Head of Project Management and Planning at Maxim Pharmaceuticals. Earlier, he was a Director, Head of Biopharmaceutical Project Management at Baxter Bioscience, a division of Baxter Healthcare Corporation, and a Global Project Leader at Pfizer Global Research and Development - La Jolla (formerly Agouron Pharmaceuticals). He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a master's degree in executive leadership, both from the University of San Diego.

About Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Headquartered in San Diego, CA, Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the in-licensing and development of proprietary product candidates for the treatment of diseases and disorders in the fields of psychiatry and neurology. Somaxon's lead product candidate, SILENOR(TM) (doxepin HCl), is in Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of insomnia. Nalmefene HCl is in a Phase 2/3 clinical trial for pathological gambling and has completed a pilot Phase 2 trial for smoking cessation. Acamprosate Ca, a potential treatment for movement disorders, is currently in formulation development.

For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.somaxon.com.