DR. KARL BEUTNER APPOINTED CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF ANACOR PHARMACEUTICALS

Dermatology and Infectious Disease Expert to Lead Clinical Development

Palo Alto, Calif., April 25, 2005 - Anacor Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company developing novel pharmaceuticals for dermatology, today announced that Karl Beutner, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the company as its first chief medical officer. Dr. Beutner will apply his extensive background in dermatology and infectious disease drug development to building Anacor's clinical development capabilities.

Beutner brings more than 25 years of experience in medicine to Anacor, serving as a senior executive with several established healthcare organizations and as a practicing physician. Beutner joins Anacor from Dow Pharmaceutical Sciences, where he held the position of vice president and chief medical officer. In that capacity, Beutner managed Dow's clinical trial sites in Davis and Vallejo, California. He also serves as an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco. Beutner has also operated a private medical practice based in Vallejo, California since 1985. Beutner has served on Anacor's Scientific Advisory Board since mid 2004.

"Anacor's expertise and intellectual property in boron chemistry provides an unmatched opportunity to introduce new chemical entities to dermatology. There is a compelling need for novel dermatological drugs treating bacterial, viral and fungal infections and inflammatory disorders," stated Beutner. "I look forward to using my 25 years of experience working at the intersection of research and clinical environments to help develop new treatments for many significant dermatological disorders."

"We are honored that a medical expert of Dr. Beutner's stature is joining the Anacor team to help take our therapeutics from the lab to the market," stated David Perry, CEO of Anacor Pharmaceuticals. "Dr. Beutner's experience in both clinical drug development and as a practicing dermatologist adds tremendous value and insight as we develop therapeutics for various dermatological diseases."

Beutner is widely recognized for his research activities developing new therapies for viral infections of the skin and other common skin conditions. Beutner is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and a Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology. He is a past president of the Solano County Medical Society and of the San Francisco Dermatological Society. Beutner received his M.D. and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Microbiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and a B.S. in Biology from Saint Mary's College.

About Anacor
Anacor Pharmaceuticals is engaged in the discovery and development of novel drugs based on proprietary boron chemistry. Anacor is currently leveraging its expertise and intellectual property to develop and commercialize drugs for dermatology. The company's technology is based on work originally conducted by Dr. Lucy Shapiro at Stanford University and Dr. Stephen Benkovic at Pennsylvania State University. Privately held and based in Palo Alto, Calif., Anacor is funded by Aberdare Ventures and Rho Ventures. For more information, visit www.anacor.com.