[Advanced Polymer Systems, Inc. logo]

                   123 Saginaw Drive
                 Redwood City, CA 94063

                      NEWS RELEASE
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Contacts:
LAUREN FELICE                               GORDON SANGSTER
Investor Relations                               Controller
Ruder-Finn                                   (650) 366-2626
(212) 593-6370


       ADVANCED POLYMER SYSTEMS EXPANDS BOARD TO ADD TWO
      DIRECTORS UNDER AGREEMENT WITH PROVIDENCE INVESTORS
              RESOLVING POTENTIAL PROXY CONTEST

       Company to Continue to Actively Pursue Strategic
       Alternatives Assisted by its Financial Advisor,
                  Warburg Dillon Read

REDWOOD CITY, CA, May 5, 1999 -- Advanced Polymer Systems, Inc. 
(Nasdaq: APOS) said today that it has entered into a definitive 
agreement with one of its stockholders, Providence Investors, LLC 
and related entities, that will resolve a potential proxy contest 
in connection with Providence Investor's proposed nomination of 
eight members to the Advanced Polymer Board.  Providence 
Investors is an investment fund which has reported ownership of 
approximately 2% of Advanced Polymer's stock.

The Board will be expanded to 10 members to accommodate the 
appointment of two additional directors.  Under the agreement, 
Mr. Stephen A. Drury and Mr. Richard D. Spizzirri are being added 
to the Advanced Polymer Board immediately.  Mr. Spizzirri is a 
senior counsel with the New York law firm of Davis Polk & 
Wardwell and is a director of two public biopharmaceutical 
companies, SUGEN, Inc. and Centocor, Inc.  Mr. Drury was formerly 
an Executive Vice President of Owen Healthcare, Inc. and a Senior 
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Integrated Health 
Services, Inc.  Both of the additional directors will be 
renominated at the 1999 Annual Meeting of Stockholders scheduled 
for June 16, 1999.

One of the additional directors will join an existing Board 
committee which has been formed to review with outside advisors 
and management the Company's progress in pursuing its previously 
announced efforts to review strategic alternatives for maximizing 
stockholder value.

"This agreement is good news for our stockholders", said John J. 
Meakem, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Polymer Systems.  
"We are actively engaged in the process of reviewing all 
strategic alternatives, including the possible sale of the 
Company, with our financial advisor, Warburg Dillon Read.  
Richard Spizzirri and Stephen Drury bring additional quality 
representation to our Board, and will provide assistance to the 
current directors and management in our pursuit of maximizing 
stockholder value."

"The two additional directors, Mr. Drury and Mr. Spizzirri, have 
the credentials to help the Company", said Herbert Denton, a 
managing member of Providence Investors.  "I am confident that 
each will contribute meaningfully to the process now underway to 
maximize shareholder value."

The definitive agreement between Advanced Polymer and Providence 
Investors, which includes customary standstill undertakings by 
Providence Investors through February 15, 2000, will shortly be 
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About APS
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Advanced Polymer Systems, Inc. is a leader in polymer-based 
delivery systems and related technologies used primarily in 
ethical and over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals and personal 
care products.  The Company's Microsponge(R) and Polytrap(R) 
systems, which deliver active ingredients to the skin, now play 
an integral role in approximately 100 personal care products sold 
worldwide.  New products and technologies under development 
include site-specific systems for delivering oral medications to 
the lower gastrointestinal tract, and bioerodible microspheres 
and polymers for oral or implantable drug delivery.

Except for historical information, this new release contains 
certain forward-looking statements that involve risk and 
uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ materially 
from the statements made, including the risk of consummation of 
the sale of the Company (as to which there is no assurance) 
success and timing of product development, approvals and 
launches, the establishment of new corporate alliances, and other 
risks listed from time to time in Advanced Polymer's U.S. 
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings.  These forward 
looking statements represent Advanced Polymer's judgment, as of 
the date of this release, and the Company disclaims any intent or 
obligation to update these forward-looking statements.