Inspire Pharmaceuticals (ISPH) S-8 POS Registration of securities for employees (post-effective amendment)

EXHIBIT 23.1

Consent of Independent Accountants

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Form S-8 (No. 333-56360) of our report dated February 8, 2002 relating to the financial statements, which appears in Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Raleigh, North Carolina

December 19, 2002