EXHIBIT 99.1



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Adam C. Derbyshire            Mike Freeman
          Vice President and            Director, Investor Relations and
          Chief Financial Officer       Corporate Communications
          919 862-1000                  919 862-1000


     SALIX PHARMACEUTICALS TO PRESENT AT FIRST UNION SECURITIES CONFERENCE

RALEIGH, NC, JUNE 27, 2001 - Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.  (Nasdaq:SLXP) today
announced that Robert Ruscher, President and Chief Executive Officer, will make
a presentation at the First Union Securities Eleventh Annual Nantucket
Conference at 3:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 28, 2001.

An audio replay of the presentation will be available after 6:00 p.m. EDT on
Thursday, June 28.  Interested parties can access the replay by means of the
First Union web site www.fusiresearch.com.  Additionally, a replay of the
presentation will be available on the Salix web site www.salixpharm.com for one
week following the presentation.  The audio webcast of the presentation can be
accessed on either web site using RealPlayer software.

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, develops
and markets prescription pharmaceutical products for the treatment of
gastrointestinal diseases.  Salix's strategy is to in-license proprietary
therapeutic drugs that have an existing database of positive, late-stage
clinical data; complete the development and regulatory submission of these
products; and market them through the Company's gastroenterology specialty sales
force. Salix's lead product is COLAZAL\\TM\\, an anti-inflammatory drug approved
for the treatment of mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis. The Company
launched the product in the U.S. through its


specialty sales force in January 2001. Salix's follow-on product candidate is
rifaximin, currently in development for the potential treatment of infections of
the lower gastrointestinal tract. The Company currently intends to submit an NDA
for rifaximin for the treatment of infectious diarrhea to the U.S. FDA in late
2001. Salix trades on the Nasdaq National Market under the ticker symbol "SLXP."

For more information please contact the Company at 919-862-1000 or visit our web
site at www.salixpharm.com.

   Please Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding
   future events.  These statements are just predictions and are subject to
   risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual events or results to
   differ materially.  These risks and uncertainties include the risks of
   clinical trials and regulatory review, market acceptance of our products, and
   the need to acquire new products.  The reader is referred to the documents
   that the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange
   Commission.