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                                5,000,000 Shares

                           DOV PHARMACEUTICAL, INC.

                                  Common Stock

                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

                                                                __________, 2002

CIBC World Markets Corp.
Lehman Brothers, Inc.
Lazard Freres & Co. LLC
Fidelity Capital Markets LLC
c/o CIBC World Markets Corp.
417 Fifth Avenue, 2nd Floor
New York, New York  10016

On behalf of the Several
Underwriters named on
Schedule I attached hereto.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

            DOV Pharmaceutical, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company")
proposes, subject to the terms and conditions contained herein, to sell to you
and the other underwriters named on Schedule I to this Agreement (the
"Underwriters"), for whom you are acting as Representatives (the
"Representatives"), an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares (the "Firm Shares") of the
Company's Common Stock, $0.0001 par value (the "Common Stock"). The respective
amounts of the Firm Shares to be purchased by each of the several Underwriters
are set forth opposite their names on Schedule I hereto. In addition, the
Company proposes to grant to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an
additional 750,000 shares (the "Option Shares") of Common Stock from it for the
purpose of covering over-allotments in connection with the sale of the Firm
Shares. The Firm Shares and the Option Shares are together called the "Shares."

            1.    SALE AND PURCHASE OF THE SHARES.

            On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements
contained in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, this Agreement:

            (a) The Company agrees to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each
      of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from
      the Company, at a price of $_____ per share (the "Initial Price"), the
      number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter
      under the column "Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased from the Company"
      on Schedule I to this Agreement, subject to adjustment in accordance with
      Section 10 hereof.


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            (b) The Company grants to the several Underwriters an option to
      purchase, severally and not jointly, all or any part of the Option Shares
      at the Initial Price. The number of Option Shares to be purchased by each
      Underwriter shall be the same percentage (adjusted by the Representatives
      to eliminate fractions) of the total number of Option Shares to be
      purchased by the Underwriters as such Underwriter is purchasing of the
      Firm Shares. Such option may be exercised only to cover over-allotments in
      the sales of the Firm Shares by the Underwriters and may be exercised in
      whole or in part at any time on or before 12:00 noon, New York City time,
      on the business day before the Firm Shares Closing Date (as defined
      below), and from time to time thereafter within 30 days after the date of
      this Agreement, in each case upon written, facsimile or telegraphic
      notice, or verbal or telephonic notice confirmed by written, facsimile or
      telegraphic notice, by the Representatives to the Company no later than
      12:00 noon, New York City time, on the business day before the Firm Shares
      Closing Date or at least two business days before the Option Shares
      Closing Date (as defined below), as the case may be, setting forth the
      number of Option Shares to be purchased and the time and date (if other
      than the Firm Shares Closing Date) of such purchase.

            2. DELIVERY AND PAYMENT. Payment of the purchase price for, and
delivery of certificate for, the Firm Shares shall be made at the offices of
CIBC World Markets Corp., 417 Fifth Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10016,
at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the third business day following the date
of this Agreement or at such time on such other date, not later than ten (10)
business days after the date of this Agreement, as shall be agreed upon by the
Company and the Representatives (such time and date of delivery and payment are
called the "Firm Shares Closing Date").

            In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Shares are
purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price, and delivery of
the certificates, for such Option Shares shall be made at the above-mentioned
offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives
and the Company, on each date of delivery as specified in the notice from the
Representatives to the Company (such time and date of delivery and payment are
called the "Option Shares Closing Date"). The Firm Shares Closing Date and the
Option Shares Closing Date are called, individually, a "Closing Date" and,
together, the "Closing Dates."

            Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately
available funds or by certified or official bank check or checks payable in New
York Clearing House (same day) funds drawn to the order of the Company, against
delivery of the respective certificates to the Representatives for the
respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Shares to be
purchased by them.

            Certificates evidencing the Shares shall be registered in such names
and shall be in such denominations as the Representatives shall request at least
two full business days before the Firm Shares Closing Date or, in the case of
Option Shares, on the day of notice of exercise of the option as described in
Section l(b) and shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the
Representatives through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company ("DTC")
for the account of such Underwriter. The Company will cause the certificates
representing the Shares to be made available for checking and packaging, at such
place as is designated by the Representatives, on the


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full business day before the Firm Shares Closing Date (or the Option Shares
Closing Date in the case of the Option Shares).

            3. REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROSPECTUS; PUBLIC OFFERING. The
Company has prepared and filed in conformity in all material respects with the
requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"),
and the published rules and regulations thereunder (the "Rules") adopted by the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a Registration Statement
(as hereinafter defined) on Form S-1 (No. 333-81484), including a preliminary
prospectus relating to the Shares, and such amendments thereof as may have been
required to the date of this Agreement. Copies of such Registration Statement
(including all amendments thereof) and of the related Preliminary Prospectus (as
hereinafter defined) have heretofore been delivered by the Company to you. The
term "Preliminary Prospectus" means any preliminary prospectus (as described in
Rule 430 of the Rules) included at any time as a part of the Registration
Statement or filed with the Commission by the Company with the consent of the
Representatives pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the Rules. The term "Registration
Statement" as used in this Agreement means the initial registration statement
(including all exhibits, financial schedules and information deemed to be a part
of the Registration Statement through incorporation by reference or otherwise),
as amended at the time and on the date it becomes effective (the "Effective
Date") including the information (if any) deemed to be part thereof at the time
of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A of the Rules. If the Company has filed an
abbreviated registration statement to register additional Shares pursuant to
Rule 462(b) under the Rules (the "462(b) Registration Statement") then any
reference herein to the Registration Statement shall also be deemed to include
such 462(b) Registration Statement. The term "Prospectus" as used in this
Agreement means the prospectus in the form included in the Registration
Statement at the time of effectiveness or, if Rule 430A of the Rules is relied
on, the term Prospectus shall also include the final prospectus filed with the
Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules.

            The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a
public offering of the Shares, as set forth in and pursuant to the Prospectus,
as soon after the Effective Date and the date of this Agreement as the
Representatives deem advisable. The Company hereby confirms that the
Underwriters and dealers have been authorized to distribute or cause to be
distributed each Preliminary Prospectus and are authorized to distribute the
Prospectus (as from time to time amended or supplemented if the Company
furnishes amendments or supplements thereto to the Underwriters).

            4.    REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.  The Company
hereby represents and warrants to each Underwriter as follows:

            (a) On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement complied, and
      on the date of the Prospectus, the date any post-effective amendment to
      the Registration Statement becomes effective, the date any supplement or
      amendment to the Prospectus is filed with the Commission and each Closing
      Date, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment
      thereof or supplement thereto) will comply, in all material respects, with
      the applicable provisions of the Securities Act and the Rules. The
      Registration Statement did not, as of the Effective Date, contain any
      untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
      required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
      therein


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      not misleading; and on the Effective Date and the other dates referred to
      above neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus, nor any
      amendment thereof or supplement thereto, will contain any untrue statement
      of a material fact or will omit to state any material fact required to be
      stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein (in
      the case of the Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which
      they were made) not misleading. When any related Preliminary Prospectus
      was first filed with the Commission (whether filed as part of the
      Registration Statement or any amendment thereto or pursuant to Rule 424(a)
      of the Rules) and when any amendment thereof or supplement thereto was
      first filed with the Commission, such Preliminary Prospectus as amended or
      supplemented complied in all material respects with the applicable
      provisions of the Securities Act and the Rules (other than the absence of
      pricing information and share information with respect to the Preliminary
      Prospectus filed on January 28, 2002) and did not contain any untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required
      to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein,
      in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
      misleading. If applicable, each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus
      delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was
      identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the
      Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation
      S-T. If Rule 434 is used, the Company will comply with the requirements of
      Rule 434 and the Prospectus shall not be "materially different," as such
      term is used in Rule 434, from the Prospectus included in the Registration
      Statement at the time it became effective. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
      none of the representations and warranties in this paragraph 4(a) shall
      apply to statements in, or omissions from, the Registration Statement or
      the Prospectus made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information
      herein or otherwise furnished in writing by the Representatives on behalf
      of the several Underwriters for use in the Registration Statement or the
      Prospectus. With respect to the preceding sentence, the Company
      acknowledges that the only information furnished in writing by the
      Representatives on behalf of the several Underwriters for use in the
      Registration Statement or the Prospectus is the statements contained in
      the fourth, tenth, thirteenth and sixteenth paragraphs under the caption
      "Underwriting" in the Prospectus.

            (b) The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act
      and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the
      Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the
      Prospectus has been issued and, to the Company's knowledge, no proceedings
      for that purpose have been instituted or are threatened under the
      Securities Act. Any required filing of the Prospectus and any supplement
      thereto pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules has been or will be made in
      the manner and within the time period required by such Rule 424(b).

            (c) The financial statements of the Company and DOV (Bermuda), Ltd.
      ("DOV Bermuda") (including all notes and schedules thereto) included or
      incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and Prospectus
      present fairly in all material respects the financial position, the
      results of operations, the statements of cash flows and the statements of
      stockholders' equity and the other information purported to be shown
      therein of the Company and DOV Bermuda, respectively, at the respective
      dates and for the respective periods to which they apply; and such
      financial statements and related schedules and notes have been prepared in
      conformity in all material respects with generally accepted accounting


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      principles, consistently applied throughout the periods involved, and all
      adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results for such
      periods have been made. The summary and selected financial data included
      in the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information
      shown therein as at the respective dates and for the respective periods
      specified and the summary and selected financial data have been presented
      on a basis consistent with the financial statements so set forth in the
      Prospectus and other financial information. The pro forma financial
      information included in the Registration Statement and Prospectus has been
      prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities
      Act and the Rules and includes all adjustments necessary to present fairly
      in all material respects the pro forma financial position of the
      respective entity or entities presented therein at the respective dates
      indicated and the results of their operations for the respective periods
      specified.

            (d) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers, whose
      reports are filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration
      Statement, are and, during the periods covered by their reports, were
      independent public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the
      Rules.

            (e) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries (as hereinafter
      defined) is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good
      standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of
      incorporation. The Company and each such subsidiary or other entity
      controlled directly or indirectly by the Company (collectively,
      "Subsidiaries") is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing
      as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the
      business conducted by it or location of the assets or properties owned,
      leased or licensed by it requires such qualification, except for such
      jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify would not have a material
      adverse effect on the assets or properties, business, results of
      operations or financial condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries,
      taken as a whole (a "Material Adverse Effect"). Each of the Company and
      its Subsidiaries has all requisite corporate power and authority, and all
      necessary authorizations, approvals, consents, orders, licenses,
      certificates and permits of and from all governmental or regulatory bodies
      or any other person or entity (collectively, the "Permits"), to own, lease
      and license its assets and properties and conduct its business, all of
      which are valid and in full force and effect, as described in the
      Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except where the lack of such
      Permits, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material
      Adverse Effect. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has fulfilled and
      performed in all material respects all of its material obligations with
      respect to such Permits and no event has occurred that allows, or after
      notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or
      results in any other material impairment of the rights of the Company
      thereunder. Except as may be required under the Securities Act and state
      and foreign Blue Sky laws, no other Permits are required to enter into,
      deliver and perform this Agreement and to issue and sell the Shares.

            (f) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries owns or possesses
      adequate and enforceable rights to use all trademarks, trademark
      applications, trade names, service marks, trademark registrations, service
      mark registrations, copyrights, copyright applications, licenses, know-how
      and other similar rights and proprietary knowledge (collectively,


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      "Intangibles") described in the Prospectus as being owned by it necessary
      for the conduct of its business. Neither the Company nor any of its
      Subsidiaries has received any notice of, or is not aware of, any
      infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to
      any Intangibles.

            (g) Except as described in the Prospectus, each of the Company and
      its Subsidiaries owns or possesses adequate and enforceable rights to use
      all material patents and patent applications necessary for the conduct of
      their respective businesses and have no reason to believe that the conduct
      of their respective businesses will conflict with or infringe, and have
      not received any notice of any claim of conflict with or infringement of,
      any such rights of others.

            (h) Except as described in the Prospectus, each of the Company and
      its Subsidiaries has valid title in fee simple to all items of real
      property and valid title to all personal property described in the
      Prospectuses as being owned by it and which is material to the Company and
      its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Any real property and buildings
      described in the Prospectuses as being held under lease by the Company and
      each of its Subsidiaries is held by it under valid, existing and
      enforceable leases, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims,
      security interests and defects, except such as are described in the
      Registration Statement and the Prospectus or would not have a Material
      Adverse Effect.

            (i) There are no litigation or governmental proceedings to which the
      Company or its Subsidiaries is subject or which is pending or, to the
      knowledge of the Company, threatened, against the Company or any of its
      Subsidiaries, which, individually or in the aggregate, might have a
      Material Adverse Effect, affect the consummation of this Agreement or
      which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the
      Prospectus that is not so disclosed.

            (j) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is
      given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as
      described therein, (a) there has not been any material adverse change with
      regard to the assets or properties, business, results of operations or
      financial condition of the Company; (b) neither the Company nor its
      Subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its assets,
      businesses or properties (whether owned or leased) from fire, explosion,
      earthquake, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance,
      or from any labor dispute or any court or legislative or other
      governmental action, order or decree which would have a Material Adverse
      Effect; and (c) since the date of the latest balance sheet included in the
      Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as reflected therein,
      neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries has (i) issued any securities or
      incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed
      money, except such liabilities or obligations incurred in the ordinary
      course of business, (ii) entered into any transaction not in the ordinary
      course of business or (iii) declared or paid any dividend or made any
      distribution on any shares of its stock or redeemed, purchased or
      otherwise acquired or agreed to redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire any
      shares of its stock.


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            (k) There is no document, contract or other agreement of a character
      required to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or to
      be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which is not
      described or filed as required by the Securities Act or Rules. Each
      description of a contract, document or other agreement in the Registration
      Statement and the Prospectus accurately reflects in all material respects
      the material terms of the underlying document, contract or agreement. Each
      agreement described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus or listed
      in the exhibits to the Registration Statement or incorporated by reference
      is in full force and effect and is valid and enforceable against the
      Company or any Subsidiary, as the case may be, in accordance with its
      terms and, to the Company's knowledge, by the Company against the other
      parties thereto, except to the extent such enforceability may be limited
      by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other
      similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally and
      by general equitable principles. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary,
      if the Subsidiary is a party, nor to the Company's knowledge, any other
      party is in default in the observance or performance of any term or
      obligation to be performed by it under any such agreement, and no event
      has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute
      such a default, in any such case which default or event, individually or
      in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect. No default exists,
      and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both,
      would constitute a default in the due performance and observance of any
      term, covenant or condition, by the Company or any Subsidiary, if the
      Subsidiary is a party thereto, of any other agreement or instrument to
      which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company,
      any Subsidiary or their respective properties or business may be bound or
      affected which default or event, individually or in the aggregate, would
      have a Material Adverse Effect.

            (l) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation
      of any term or provision of its charter or by-laws or of any franchise,
      license, permit, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or regulation,
      where the consequences of such violation, individually or in the
      aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

            (m) Neither the execution, delivery and performance of this
      Agreement by the Company nor the consummation of any of the transactions
      contemplated hereby (including, without limitation, the issuance and sale
      by the Company of the Shares) will give rise to a right to terminate or
      accelerate the due date of any payment due under, or result in the breach
      of any term or provision of, or constitute a default (or an event which,
      with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default) under,
      or require any consent or waiver under, or result in the execution or
      imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or
      assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of,
      any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note or other agreement or
      instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or
      by which either the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their
      properties or businesses is bound, or any franchise, license, permit,
      judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or regulation applicable to the
      Company or any of its Subsidiaries or violate any provision of the charter
      or by-laws of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except for such
      consents or waivers which have already been obtained and are in full force
      and effect and except where such termination, acceleration, conflict,
      breach or default would not have a Material Adverse Effect.


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            (n) The Company has authorized and outstanding capital stock as set
      forth in the "Actual" column under the caption "Capitalization" in the
      Prospectus. The certificates evidencing the Shares are in due and proper
      legal form and have been duly authorized for issuance by the Company. All
      of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly and
      validly authorized and issued, were issued in compliance in all material
      respects with federal and state securities laws, are fully paid and
      nonassessable, and none of them was issued in violation of any preemptive
      or other similar right. All of the Company's options, warrants and other
      rights to purchase or exchange any securities for shares of the Company's
      capital stock have been duly and validly authorized and issued, were
      issued in compliance in all material respects with federal and state
      securities laws, and conform to the description thereof contained in the
      Prospectus. There are no statutory preemptive or other similar rights to
      subscribe for or to purchase or acquire any shares of Common Stock of the
      Company or its Subsidiaries or any such rights pursuant to its charter or
      by-laws or any agreement or instrument to or by which the Company or any
      of its Subsidiaries is a party or bound, which rights have not been duly
      satisfied or waived. The Shares, when issued and sold pursuant to this
      Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable,
      and free and clear of any preemptive or other similar rights. Except as
      disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there is no
      outstanding option, warrant or other right calling for the issuance of,
      and there is no commitment, plan or arrangement to issue, any share of
      stock of the Company or its Subsidiaries or any security convertible into,
      or exercisable or exchangeable for, such stock. The Common Stock and the
      Shares conform in all material respects to all statements in relation
      thereto contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. All
      outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary have been duly
      authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and nonassessable and,
      except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus with
      respect to DOV (Bermuda) Ltd., are owned directly by the Company or by
      another wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company free and clear of any
      security interests, liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.

            (o) Except as described in the Prospectus, no holder of any security
      of the Company has the right to have any security owned by such holder
      included in the Registration Statement or to demand registration of any
      security owned by such holder during the period ending 180 days after the
      date of the Prospectus. Except as disclosed in writing to the
      Representatives, each stockholder, director and executive officer of the
      Company has delivered to the Representatives a written lock-up agreement
      substantially in the form attached to this Agreement ("Lock-Up
      Agreement"), with such changes as have been approved by the
      Representatives.

            (p) All necessary corporate action has been duly and validly taken
      by the Company to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of
      this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company.
      This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and
      delivered by the Company and constitutes and will constitute the legal,
      valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the
      Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforceability thereof
      may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or
      other similar laws affecting the enforcement of


                                      -8-
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      creditors' rights generally and by general equitable principles and except
      as the enforcement of indemnification for securities laws violations may
      be limited as against public policy.

            (q) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is involved in
      any labor dispute nor, to the knowledge of the Company, is any such
      dispute threatened, which dispute would have a Material Adverse Effect.
      The Company is not aware of any threatened or pending litigation between
      the Company or its Subsidiaries and any of its executive officers which,
      if adversely determined, could have a Material Adverse Effect.

            (r) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is in compliance in all
      material respects with all presently applicable provisions of the Employee
      Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the
      regulations and published interpretations thereunder ("ERISA"); no
      "reportable event" (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any
      "pension plan" (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company or any of its
      Subsidiaries would have any liability; neither the Company nor any
      Subsidiary has incurred, liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with
      respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any "pension plan" or (ii)
      Sections 412 or 4971 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
      including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the
      "Code"); and, to the knowledge of the Company, each "pension plan" for
      which the Company or its Subsidiaries would have any liability that is
      intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified
      in all material respects and, to the knowledge of the Company, nothing has
      occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the
      loss of such qualification.

            (s) No transaction has occurred between or among the Company and any
      of its officers, directors or stockholders or any affiliate or affiliates
      of any such officer, director or stockholder that is required to be
      described in and is not described in the Registration Statement and the
      Prospectus.

            (t) The Company has not taken, nor will it take, directly or
      indirectly, any action designed to or which might reasonably be expected
      to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably
      be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price
      of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares.

            (u) The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all Federal, state,
      local and foreign tax returns which are required to be filed through the
      date hereof, which returns are true and correct in all material respects
      or have received extensions thereof, and have paid all taxes shown on such
      returns and all assessments received by it to the extent that the same are
      material and have become due. There are no tax audits or investigations
      pending, which if adversely determined would have a Material Adverse
      Effect; nor are there any material proposed additional tax assessments
      against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

            (v) The Shares have been duly authorized for quotation on the
      National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation ("Nasdaq")
      National Market System, subject to official notice of issuance. A
      registration statement has been filed on Form 8-A


                                      -9-
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      pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
      "Exchange Act"), which registration statement complies in all material
      respects with the Exchange Act.

            (w) The Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have
      the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the
      Exchange Act or the quotation of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq National
      Market, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission
      or the Nasdaq National Market is contemplating terminating such
      registration or quotation.

            (x) The books, records and accounts of the Company and its
      Subsidiaries accurately and fairly reflect, in reasonable detail, the
      transactions in, and dispositions of, the assets of, and the results of
      operations of, the Company and its Subsidiaries. Each of the Company and
      its Subsidiaries maintains a system of internal accounting controls
      sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are
      executed in accordance with management's general or specific
      authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
      preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
      accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access
      to assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or
      specific authorization and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is
      compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate
      action is taken with respect to any differences.

            (y) The Company and its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of
      recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in
      such amounts as are customary in the businesses in which they are engaged
      or propose to engage after giving effect to the transactions described in
      the Prospectus; all policies of insurance and fidelity or surety bonds
      insuring the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or the Company's or its
      Subsidiaries' respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and
      directors are in full force and effect; each of the Company and its
      Subsidiaries is in compliance with the terms of such policies and
      instruments in all material respects; and neither the Company nor any
      Subsidiary of the Company has any reason to believe that they will not be
      able to renew their existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage
      expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be
      necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a
      Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has been
      denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has
      applied.

            (z) Each approval, consent, order, authorization, designation,
      declaration or filing of, by or with any regulatory, administrative or
      other governmental body necessary in connection with the execution and
      delivery by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the
      transactions herein contemplated required to be obtained or performed by
      the Company (except such additional steps as may be required by the
      National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD") or may be
      necessary to qualify the Shares for public offering by the Underwriters
      under the state securities or Blue Sky laws) has been obtained or made and
      is in full force and effect.

            (aa) There are no affiliations with the NASD among the Company's
      officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any stockholder
      of the Company, except as


                                      -10-
<Page>


      set forth in the Registration Statement or otherwise disclosed in writing
      to the Representatives.

            (bb) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries possesses all
      certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate
      federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct
      their respective businesses, including without limitation all such
      certificates, authorizations and permits required by the United States
      Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") or any other federal, state or
      foreign agencies or bodies engaged in the regulation of pharmaceuticals or
      biohazardous materials, and neither the Company nor any of its
      Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the
      revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or
      permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable
      decisions, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect on the
      Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

            (cc) Each Investigational New Drug ("IND") submission to the FDA or
      similar application to foreign regulatory bodies, and related documents
      and information, has been filed, approved and maintained in compliance in
      all material respects with applicable statutes, rules, regulations,
      standards, guides or orders administered or promulgated by the FDA or
      other regulatory body, and all preclinical and clinical studies undertaken
      to support approval of products for commercialization have been conducted
      in compliance in all material respects with all applicable current Good
      Laboratory and Good Clinical Practices. No filing or submission to the FDA
      or any other regulatory body, that is intended to be the basis for any
      approval, contains any material omission or material false information.

            (dd) (i) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is in compliance
      in all material respects with all rules, laws and regulations relating to
      the use, treatment, storage and disposal of toxic substances and
      protection of health or the environment ("Environmental Law") which are
      applicable to its business; (ii) neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries
      has received any notice from any governmental authority or third party of
      an asserted claim under Environmental Laws; (iii) each of the Company and
      its Subsidiaries has received all material permits, licenses or other
      approvals required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct
      its business and is in compliance with all terms and conditions of any
      such permit, license or approval; (iv) to the Company's knowledge, no
      facts currently exist that will require the Company or its Subsidiaries to
      make future material capital expenditures to comply with Environmental
      Laws; and (v) to the Company's knowledge, no property which is or has been
      owned, leased or occupied by the Company or its Subsidiaries has been
      designated as a Superfund site pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental
      Response, Compensation of Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C.
      Section 9601, et. seq.) or otherwise designated as a contaminated site
      under applicable state or local law. Neither the Company nor any of its
      Subsidiaries has been named as a "potentially responsible party" under the
      CER, CLA of 1980.

            (ee) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and
      sale of the Shares and the application of proceeds thereof as described in
      the Prospectus, will not be an "investment company" within the meaning of
      the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company
      Act").


                                      -11-
<Page>


            (ff) Neither the Company, its Subsidiaries nor, to the Company's
      knowledge, any other person associated with or acting on behalf of the
      Company or its Subsidiaries including, without limitation, any director,
      officer, agent or employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries has,
      directly or indirectly, while acting on behalf of the Company or its
      Subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for unlawful contributions,
      gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political
      activity; (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government
      officials or employees or to foreign or domestic political parties or
      campaigns from corporate funds; (iii) violated any provision of the
      Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended; or (iv) made any other
      unlawful payment.

            (gg) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between
      the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against
      the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder's fee or
      other like payment in connection with this offering.

            (hh) The statistical and market-related data included in the
      Prospectus and the Registration Statement are based on or derived from
      sources which the Company believes to be reasonably reliable and accurate.

            5.    CONDITIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS' OBLIGATIONS.  The
obligations of the Underwriters under this Agreement are several and not
joint.  The respective obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Shares
are subject to each of the following terms and conditions:

            (a) Notification that the Registration Statement has become
      effective shall have been received by the Representatives and the
      Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission in accordance
      with Section 6(a) of this Agreement.

            (b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary
      Prospectus or the Prospectus shall have been or shall be in effect and no
      order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be
      in effect and no proceedings for such purpose shall be pending before or
      threatened by the Commission, and any requests for additional information
      on the part of the Commission (to be included in the Registration
      Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to
      the satisfaction of the Commission and the Representatives. If the Company
      has elected to rely upon Rule 430A, Rule 430A information previously
      omitted from the effective Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A
      shall have been transmitted to the Commission for filing pursuant to Rule
      424(b) within the prescribed time period and the Company shall have
      provided evidence satisfactory to the Underwriters of such timely filing,
      or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been
      promptly filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements
      of Rule 430A. If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 434, a term
      sheet shall have been transmitted to the Commission for filing pursuant to
      Rule 424(b) within the prescribed time period.

            (c) The representations and warranties of the Company contained in
      this Agreement and in the certificates delivered pursuant to Section 5(d)
      shall be true and correct when made and on and as of each Closing Date as
      if made on such date. The Company shall


                                      -12-
<Page>


      have performed all covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement
      required to be performed by it at or before such Closing Date.

            (d) The Representatives shall have received on each Closing Date a
      certificate, addressed to the Representatives and dated such Closing Date,
      of the chief executive or chief operating officer and the chief financial
      officer or chief accounting officer of the Company to the effect that (i)
      the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration
      Statement, the Prospectus and this Agreement and that, to the knowledge of
      such officers, the representations and warranties of the Company in this
      Agreement are true and correct on and as of such Closing Date with the
      same effect as if made on such Closing Date and the Company has performed
      all covenants and agreements and satisfied all conditions contained in
      this Agreement required to be performed or satisfied by it at or prior to
      such Closing Date, and (ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of
      the Registration Statement has been issued and to the best of their
      knowledge, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are
      pending under the Securities Act.

            (e) The Representatives shall have received, at the time this
      Agreement is executed and on each Closing Date a signed letter from
      PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP addressed to the Representatives and dated,
      respectively, the date of this Agreement and each such Closing Date, in
      form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives
      containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in
      accountants' "comfort letters" to underwriters with respect to the
      financial statements and certain financial information contained in the
      Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

            (f) The Representatives shall have received on each Closing Date
      from Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Company, an opinion, addressed
      to the Representatives and dated such Closing Date, and stating in effect
      that:

                     (i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
            existing as a corporation in good standing under the Delaware
            General Corporation Law ("DGCL"). The Company is duly qualified to
            transact business and in good standing as a foreign corporation in
            each jurisdiction listed on a schedule to such opinion.

                     (ii) The Company has all requisite corporate power and
            authority to own, lease and license its assets and properties and
            conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and
            the Prospectus and to enter into, deliver and perform its
            obligations under this Agreement and to issue and sell the Shares.

                     (iii) The Company has authorized capital stock as set forth
            in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the caption
            "Capitalization." The certificates evidencing the Shares are in due
            and proper legal form and have been duly authorized for issuance by
            the Company. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Common
            Stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and
            issued, are fully paid and nonassessable, and none of them was
            issued in violation of any preemptive or other similar right set
            forth in the DGCL, the Company's charter and by-laws, or any
            agreement filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. All


                                      -13-
<Page>


            of the Company's options, warrants and other rights to purchase or
            exchange any securities for shares of the Company's capital stock
            have been duly and validly authorized and issued and conform to the
            description thereof contained in the Prospectus. The Shares when
            issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement will be duly and validly
            issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and free and clear of any
            preemptive or other similar right set forth in the DGCL, the
            Company's charter and by-laws, or any agreement filed as an exhibit
            to the Registration Statement. Except as disclosed in the
            Registration Statement and the Prospectus and except rights which
            have been satisfied or waived, there are no preemptive or other
            rights to subscribe for or to purchase or any restriction upon the
            voting or transfer of any securities of the Company pursuant to the
            Company's charter or by-laws or other governing documents or any
            agreements or other instruments filed as exhibits to the
            Registration Statement. The Common Stock and the Shares conform in
            all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the
            Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

                     (iv) All necessary corporate action has been duly and
            validly taken by the Company to authorize the execution, delivery
            and performance of this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the
            Shares. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized,
            executed and delivered by the Company.

                     (v) Neither the execution, delivery and performance of this
            Agreement by the Company nor the consummation of any of the
            transactions contemplated hereby (including, without limitation, the
            issuance and sale by the Company of the Shares) will (A) result in
            the breach of any term or provision of, or constitute a default
            under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note or other
            agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which
            the Company or any of its assets or properties or businesses are
            bound and which is filed as an exhibit to the Registration
            Statement; (B) violate any franchise, license, permit, judgment,
            decree or order known to such counsel, or any New York, New Jersey,
            Delaware (as it relates to the DGCL) or United States statute, rule
            or regulation; or (C) violate any provision of the charter or
            by-laws of the Company.

                     (vi) No consent, approval, authorization, order,
            registration or qualification of or with any federal, New York, New
            Jersey or Delaware (as it relates to the DGCL) governmental agency
            or body is required to be obtained by the Company for the issuance
            and sale of the Shares by the Company or the consummation by the
            Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except
            the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and the
            Rules and except as may be required under state securities or Blue
            Sky laws (as to which such counsel need express no opinion). To such
            counsel's knowledge, no consent, approval, authorization, order,
            registration or qualification of or with any federal, New York, New
            Jersey or Delaware (as it relates to the DGCL) court is required to
            be obtained by the Company for the issuance and sale of the Shares
            by the Company or the consummation by the Company of the
            transactions contemplated by this Agreement.


                                      -14-
<Page>


                     (vii) The statements contained in the Prospectus under the
            captions "Risk Factors -We are dependent on the successful outcome
            of clinical trials for our five lead product candidates," "- We may
            not receive regulatory approvals for our product candidates or
            approvals may be delayed," " - A conditional litigation settlement
            to which we are not a party, involving our DOV diltiazem patent, if
            finalized, may circumvent our rights and adversely affect our
            relationship with our licensee Biovail," " - The above conditional
            litigation settlement involving our DOV diltiazem patent, if not
            finalized, could lead to renewed litigation that may jeopardize our
            DOV diltiazem patent and our license agreement with Biovail," " - An
            investigation by the Federal Trade Commission may lead to a
            reformation, or impair the value to us, of our license agreement
            with Biovail," "Business - Collaborations and Licensing Agreements,"
            "- Market Exclusivity, Patent Protection and Intellectual Property,"
            "-Government Regulation," "-Legal Proceedings," "Management -
            Benefit Plans," "-Employment Agreements," "Certain Transactions,"
            "Description of Capital Stock" and "Shares Eligible for Future Sale"
            in the Prospectus and Items 14 and 15 of the Registration Statement
            insofar as such statements constitute a summary of documents
            referred to therein or matters of law, are accurate summaries in all
            material respects and accurately present the information called for
            with respect to such documents and matters. Accurate copies of all
            contracts and other documents required to be filed as exhibits to,
            or described in, the Registration Statement have been so filed with
            the Commission or are fairly described in all material respects in
            the Registration Statement, as the case may be.

                     (viii) The Registration Statement, all Preliminary
            Prospectuses and the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement
            thereto (except for the financial statements and schedules and other
            financial and statistical data included therein, as to which such
            counsel expresses no opinion) as of their respective effective or
            issue dates, appeared on their face to be appropriately responsive
            in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act
            and the Rules.

                     (ix) The Registration Statement has become effective under
            the Securities Act, and to such counsel's knowledge no stop order
            suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been
            issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or
            are threatened, pending or contemplated. Any required filing of the
            Prospectus and any supplement thereto pursuant to Rule 424(b) under
            the Securities Act has been made in the manner and within the time
            period required by such Rule 424(b).

                     (x) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms in
            all material respects to the description thereof contained in the
            Prospectus under the caption "Description of Capital Stock."

                     (xi) The Company is not an "investment company" as such
            term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.


                                      -15-
<Page>


            To the extent deemed advisable by such counsel, they may rely as to
matters of fact on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and
public officials and on the opinions of other counsel reasonably satisfactory to
the Representatives as to matters which are governed by laws other than the laws
of the State of New York, the State of New Jersey, the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware and the Federal laws of the United States; PROVIDED
that such counsel shall state that in their opinion the Underwriters and they
are justified in relying on such other opinions. Copies of such certificates and
other opinions shall be furnished to the Representatives and counsel for the
Underwriters.

            Such counsel shall also state that as counsel to the Company, they
have reviewed the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, participated in
discussions with your representatives, those of counsel for the Underwriters,
and those of the Company and its accountants. On the basis of the information
that such counsel gained in the course of the performance of the services
referred to above, considered in the light of such counsel's understanding of
the applicable law and the experience such counsel has gained through its
practice under the Securities Act, such counsel will confirm to you that nothing
that came to such counsel's attention in the course of such review has caused
such counsel to believe that the Registration Statement, as of its effective
date, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, or that the Prospectus contained any untrue statement of
a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading.

            In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel does not
know of any litigation or any governmental proceeding instituted or threatened
against the Company or its Subsidiaries that would be required to be disclosed
in the Prospectus that is not so disclosed.

            The limitations inherent in the independent verification of factual
matters and the character of determinations involved in the registration process
are such, however, that such counsel need not assume any responsibility for the
accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus except as and to the extent referred to
in clause (vii) above. Also, such counsel need not express any belief as to the
financial statements, other financial, statistical industry or operating data
and related schedules contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.

            (g) The Representatives shall have received on each Closing Date
      from Goodwin Procter LLP, patent counsel to the Company, such opinion or
      opinions with respect to the Company's intellectual property, the
      disclosure with respect thereto in the Prospectus and other related
      matters as the Representatives may reasonably require.

            (h)   The Representatives shall have received on each Closing
      Date from [      ], counsel to DOV Bermuda, Ltd., such opinion or
      opinions with respect to DOV (Bermuda) Ltd., the disclosure with
      respect thereto in the Prospectus and other related matters as the
      Representatives may reasonably require.

            (i) All proceedings taken in connection with the sale of the Firm
      Shares and the Option Shares as herein contemplated shall be reasonably
      satisfactory in form and substance


                                      -16-
<Page>


      to the Representatives and their counsel, and the Underwriters shall have
      received from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation,
      a favorable opinion, addressed to the Representatives and dated such
      Closing Date, with respect to the Shares, the Registration Statement and
      the Prospectus, and such other related matters, as the Representatives may
      reasonably request, and the Company shall have furnished to Wilson Sonsini
      Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, such documents as they may
      reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such
      matters.

            (j) The Representatives shall have received copies of the Lock-up
      Agreements executed by each entity or person described in Section 4(o).

            (k) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to
      the Representatives such further certificates or documents as the
      Representatives shall have reasonably requested.

            (l) The Nasdaq National Market shall have approved the Shares for
      quotation, subject only to official notice of issuance.

            (m) No Underwriter shall have discovered and disclosed to the
      Company on or prior to the Closing Date that the Registration Statement or
      the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue
      statement of a fact which, in the reasonable opinion of Wilson Sonsini
      Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, counsel to the Underwriters,
      is material or omits to state a fact which, in the reasonable opinion of
      such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is
      necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the Prospectus,
      in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not
      misleading.

            6.    COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.

            (a)   The Company covenants and agrees as follows:

                     (i) The Company will use its best efforts to cause the
            Registration Statement, if not effective at the time of execution of
            this Agreement, and any amendments thereto, to become effective as
            promptly as possible. The Company shall prepare the Prospectus in a
            form approved by the Representatives and file such Prospectus
            pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than the
            Commission's close of business on the second business day following
            the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable,
            such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the
            Securities Act.

                     (ii) The Company shall promptly advise the Representatives
            in writing (i) when any amendment to the Registration Statement
            shall have become effective, (ii) of any request by the Commission
            for any amendment of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or
            for any additional information, (iii) of the prevention or
            suspension of the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the
            Prospectus or of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order
            suspending the effectiveness of the


                                      -17-
<Page>


            Registration Statement or the institution or threatening of any
            proceeding for that purpose and (iv) of the receipt by the Company
            of any notification with respect to the suspension of the
            qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the
            initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The
            Company shall not file any amendment of the Registration Statement
            or supplement to the Prospectus or any document incorporated by
            reference in the Registration Statement unless the Company has
            furnished the Representatives a copy for its review prior to filing
            and shall not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to
            which the Representatives reasonably object. The Company shall use
            its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and,
            if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

                     (iii) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the
            Shares is required to be delivered under the Securities Act and the
            Rules, any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then
            amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a
            material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make
            the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which
            they were made not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend
            or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or
            the Rules, the Company promptly shall prepare and file with the
            Commission, subject to the second sentence of paragraph (ii) of this
            Section 6(a), an amendment or supplement which shall correct such
            statement or omission or an amendment which shall effect such
            compliance; PROVIDED that copies of any such amendment or supplement
            made nine months or more after the issue date of the Prospectus
            shall be at the expense of the Underwriters.

                     (iv) The Company shall make generally available to its
            security holders and to the Representatives as soon as practicable,
            but not later than 45 days after the end of the 12-month period
            beginning at the end of the fiscal quarter of the Company during
            which the Effective Date occurs (or 90 days if such 12-month period
            coincides with the Company's fiscal year), an earning statement
            (which need not be audited) of the Company, covering such 12-month
            period, which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the
            Securities Act or Rule 158 of the Rules.

                     (v) The Company shall furnish to the Representatives and
            counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the
            Registration Statement (including all exhibits thereto and
            amendments thereof) and to each other Underwriter a copy of the
            Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and all amendments
            thereof and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter
            or dealer may be required by the Securities Act or the Rules, as
            many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and any
            amendments thereof and supplements thereto as the Representatives
            may reasonably request, subject to the requirements of Section
            6(a)(iii) above. If applicable, the copies of the Registration
            Statement and Prospectus and each amendment and supplement thereto
            furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the
            electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission
            pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.


                                      -18-
<Page>


                     (vi) The Company shall cooperate with the Representatives
            and their counsel in endeavoring to qualify the Shares for offer and
            sale in connection with the offering under the laws of such
            jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and shall
            maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the
            distribution of the Shares; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company
            shall not be required in connection therewith, as a condition
            thereof, to qualify as a foreign corporation or to execute a general
            consent to service of process in any jurisdiction or subject itself
            to taxation as doing business in any jurisdiction.

                     (vii) The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is
            required to be delivered under the Securities Act and the Rules or
            the Exchange Act, will file all documents required to be filed with
            the Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act
            within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and the
            regulations promulgated thereunder.

                     (viii) Without the prior written consent of CIBC World
            Markets Corp., in prior consultation with Lehman Brothers, Inc., for
            a period of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company
            and each of its individual directors and executive officers shall
            not issue, sell or register with the Commission (other than on Form
            S-8 or on any successor form), or otherwise dispose of, directly or
            indirectly, any equity securities of the Company (or any securities
            convertible into, exercisable for or exchangeable for equity
            securities of the Company), except for the issuances of Common Stock
            pursuant to (i) this Agreement; (ii) the exercise of stock options
            outstanding on the date hereof or granted subsequent to the date
            hereof pursuant to the Company's stock option plans in existence on
            the date hereof, as described in the Prospectus, (iii) the exercise
            of warrants outstanding on the date hereof; (iv) the conversion of
            the outstanding shares of the Company's series C and series D
            convertible preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share, in
            connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated
            hereby and by the Prospectus; (iv) the exercise of the convertible
            exchangeable promissory note and the line of credit as described in
            the Prospectus; (vi) the conversion of the outstanding shares of the
            Company's series B convertible preferred stock; or (vii) in
            connection with (A) a merger, acquisition or similar transaction,
            (B) the purchase of technology or other assets pursuant to a bona
            fide arms' length transaction, (C) any joint venture between the
            Company and a third party with respect to the development, marketing
            or distribution of the Company's products or product candidates or
            (D) any transaction involving the licensing of intellectual property
            for or to a third party or parties; PROVIDED that the terms of any
            such issuance described in clauses (i) through (vii) above
            contractually prohibit the resale or other disposition of such
            shares of Common Stock for a period of 180 days after the date of
            the Prospectus. In the event that during this period, (i) any shares
            are issued pursuant to the Company's existing stock option plan or
            bonus plan that are exercisable during such 180 day period or (ii)
            any registration is effected on Form S-8 or on any successor form
            relating to shares that are exercisable during such 180 period, the
            Company shall obtain the written agreement of such grantee or
            purchaser or holder of such registered securities that, for a period
            of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, such person will not,
            without the


                                      -19-
<Page>


            prior written consent of CIBC World Markets Corp., in prior
            consultation with Lehman Brothers, Inc., offer for sale, sell,
            distribute, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose
            of, directly or indirectly, or exercise any registration rights with
            respect to, any shares of Common Stock (or any securities
            convertible into, exercisable for, or exchangeable for any shares of
            Common Stock) owned by such person.

                     (ix) On or before completion of this offering, the Company
            shall make all filings required under applicable securities laws and
            by the Nasdaq National Market (including any required registration
            under the Exchange Act).

                     (x) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company will issue no
            press release or other communications directly or indirectly and
            hold no press conference with respect to the Company, the condition,
            financial or otherwise, or the earnings, business affairs or
            business prospects of any of them, or the offering of the Shares
            without the prior written consent of the Representatives unless in
            the judgment of the Company and its counsel, and after notification
            to the Representatives, such press release or communication is
            required by law.

                     (xi) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the
            offering of the Shares in the manner set forth under "Use of
            Proceeds" in the Prospectus.

            (b) The Company agrees to pay, or reimburse if paid by the
      Representatives, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are
      consummated or this Agreement is terminated, all costs and expenses
      incident to the public offering of the Shares and the performance of the
      obligations of the Company under this Agreement including those relating
      to: (i) the preparation, printing, filing and distribution of the
      Registration Statement including all exhibits thereto, each Preliminary
      Prospectus, the Prospectus, all amendments and supplements to the
      Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any document incorporated by
      reference therein, and the printing, filing and distribution of this
      Agreement; (ii) the preparation and delivery of certificates for the
      Shares to the Underwriters; (iii) the registration or qualification of the
      Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of the
      various jurisdictions referred to in Section 6(a)(vi), including the
      reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in
      connection with such registration and qualification and the preparation,
      printing, distribution and shipment of preliminary and supplementary Blue
      Sky memoranda; (iv) the furnishing (including costs of shipping and
      mailing) to the Representatives and to the Underwriters of copies of each
      Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and all amendments or supplements
      to the Prospectus, and of the several documents required by this Section
      to be so furnished, as may be reasonably requested for use in connection
      with the offering and sale of the Shares by the Underwriters or by dealers
      to whom Shares may be sold; (v) the filing fees of the NASD in connection
      with its review of the terms of the public offering and reasonable fees
      and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such
      review; (vi) inclusion of the Shares for quotation on the Nasdaq National
      Market; and (vii) all transfer taxes, if any, with respect to the sale and
      delivery of the Shares by the Company to the Underwriters. Subject to the
      provisions of Section 9, the Underwriters agree to pay, whether or not the
      transactions


                                      -20-
<Page>


      contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, all
      costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the
      Underwriters under this Agreement not payable by the Company pursuant to
      the preceding sentence, including, without limitation, the fees and
      disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

            7.    INDEMNIFICATION.

            (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each
      Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within
      the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the
      Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities,
      joint or several (including any reasonable investigation, legal and other
      expenses incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement
      of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted), to which they,
      or any of them, may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange
      Act or other Federal or state law or regulation, at common law or
      otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise
      out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue
      statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the
      Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any amendment thereof or
      supplement thereto, or in any Blue Sky application or other information or
      other documents executed by the Company filed in any state or other
      jurisdiction to qualify any or all of the Shares under the securities laws
      thereof (any such application, document or information being hereinafter
      referred to as a "Blue Sky Application") or arise out of or are based upon
      any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required
      to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the
      case of the Prospectus and each Preliminary Prospectus, in the light of
      the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, (ii) in
      whole or in part upon any breach of the representations and warranties set
      forth in Section 4 hereof, or (iii) in whole or in part upon any failure
      of the Company to perform any of its obligations hereunder or under law;
      PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that such indemnity shall not inure to the benefit of
      any Underwriter (or any person controlling such Underwriter) on account of
      any losses, claims, damages or liabilities arising from the sale of the
      Shares to any person by such Underwriter if such untrue statement or
      omission or alleged untrue statement or omission was made in such
      Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or
      such amendment or supplement thereto, or in any Blue Sky Application in
      reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to
      the Company by the Representatives on behalf of any Underwriter
      specifically for use therein; and PROVIDED, FURTHER that with respect to
      any untrue statement or omission of material fact made in a Preliminary
      Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 7(a) shall
      not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting
      such loss, claim, damage or liability purchased the Shares concerned, to
      the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, or liability of such
      Underwriter occurs under a circumstance where it shall be determined by a
      court of competent jurisdiction by final and non-appealable judgment that
      (i) the Company had previously and timely furnished copies of the
      Prospectus, as amended and supplemented, to the Representatives, (ii) the
      untrue statement or omission of a material fact contained in the
      Preliminary Prospectus was corrected in the Prospectus, as amended and
      supplemented, and (iii) such loss, claim, damage or liability results from
      the fact that there was not sent or given to such person at or prior to


                                      -21-
<Page>


      the written confirmation of the sale of such Shares to such person, a copy
      of the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented.

            (b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify
      and hold harmless the Company and each person, if any, who controls the
      Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section
      20 of the Exchange Act, each director of the Company, and each officer of
      the Company who signs the Registration Statement, to the same extent as
      the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only
      insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of or are
      based upon any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or
      omission which was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
      Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement
      thereto, contained in the fourth, tenth, thirteenth and sixteenth
      paragraphs under the caption "Underwriting" in the Prospectus; PROVIDED,
      HOWEVER, that the obligation of each Underwriter to indemnify the Company
      (including any controlling person, director or officer thereof) shall be
      limited to the net proceeds received by the Company from such Underwriter.

            (c) Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified
      under this Section will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement
      of any action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a
      claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this
      Section, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such
      action, suit or proceeding, enclosing a copy of all papers served. No
      indemnification provided for in Section 7(a) or 7(b) shall be available to
      any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this Section 7(c)
      if the party to whom notice was not given was unaware of the proceeding to
      which such notice would have related and was prejudiced by the failure to
      give such notice but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party of
      any such action, suit or proceeding shall not relieve it from any
      liability that it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or
      otherwise than under this Section. In case any such action, suit or
      proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall
      notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the
      indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent
      that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly
      notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably
      satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from the
      indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume
      the defense thereof and the approval by the indemnified party of such
      counsel, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified
      party for any legal or other expenses, except as provided below and except
      for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by such
      indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof. The indemnified
      party shall have the right to employ its counsel in any such action, but
      the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such
      indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel by such indemnified
      party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying parties, (ii) the
      indemnified party shall have been advised by counsel that there may be one
      or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or in
      addition to those available to the indemnifying party (in which case the
      indemnifying parties shall not have the right to direct the defense of
      such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (iii) the indemnifying
      parties shall not have employed counsel to assume the defense of such
      action within a reasonable time after notice of the


                                      -22-
<Page>


      commencement thereof, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of
      counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying parties; PROVIDED,
      HOWEVER, that the Company shall only be responsible for the reasonable
      fees and expenses of one (1) such additional counsel for the Underwriters.
      An indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any
      action, suit, proceeding or claim effected without its written consent,
      which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

            8. CONTRIBUTION. In order to provide for just and equitable
contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in
Section 7(a) or 7(b) is due in accordance with its terms but for any reason is
held to be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party
under Section 7(a) or 7(b), then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the
aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including any investigation,
legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount
paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claims asserted,
but after deducting any contribution received by any person entitled hereunder
to contribution from any person who may be liable for contribution) to which the
indemnified party may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect
the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the
Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares or, if such allocation
is not permitted by applicable law or indemnification is not available as a
result of the indemnifying party not having received notice as provided in
Section 7 hereof, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the
relative benefits referred to above but also the relative fault of the Company
on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the
statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by the Company and the Underwriters shall be
deemed to be in the same proportion as (x) the total proceeds from the offering
(net of underwriting discounts but before deducting expenses) received by the
Company, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, bear to
(y) the underwriting discounts received by the Underwriters, as set forth in the
table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company or
the Underwriters shall be determined by reference to, among other things,
whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact related to
information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties'
relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or
prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that
it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8
were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as
one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not
take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding
the provisions of this Section 8, (i) in no case shall any Underwriter (except
as may be provided in the Agreement Among Underwriters) be liable or responsible
for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount applicable to the Shares
purchased by such Underwriter hereunder; and (ii) the Company shall be liable
and responsible for any amount in excess of such underwriting discount;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within
the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to
contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 8, each person, if any, who
controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act
or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution
as such Underwriter, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of the Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20(a) of the
Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration
Statement


                                      -23-
<Page>


and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as
the Company, subject in each case to clauses (i) and (ii) in the immediately
preceding sentence of this Section 8. Any party entitled to contribution will,
promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action, suit or
proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may
be made against another party or parties under this Section, notify such party
or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission so to notify
such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought shall not relieve the
party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation
it or they may have hereunder or otherwise than under this Section. No party
shall be liable for contribution with respect to any action, suit, proceeding or
claim settled without its written consent. The Underwriters' obligations to
contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to their
respective underwriting commitments and not joint.

            9.    TERMINATION.  This Agreement may be terminated with respect
to the Shares to be purchased on a Closing Date by the Representatives by
notifying the Company at any time

            (a) in the absolute discretion of the Representatives at or before
      any Closing Date: (i) if on or prior to such date, any domestic or
      international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted, or in
      the opinion of the Representatives will in the future materially disrupt,
      the securities markets; (ii) if there has occurred any new outbreak or
      material escalation of hostilities or other calamity or crisis the effect
      of which on the financial markets of the United States is such as to make
      it, in the judgment of the Representatives, inadvisable to proceed with
      the offering; (iii) if there shall be such a material adverse change in
      general financial, political or economic conditions, including, without
      limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof, or
      the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the
      United States is such as to make it, in the judgment of the
      Representatives, inadvisable or impracticable to market the Shares; (iv)
      if trading in the Shares has been suspended by the Commission or trading
      generally on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., on the American Stock
      Exchange, Inc. or the Nasdaq National Market has been suspended or
      limited, or minimum or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have
      been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities have been
      required, by said exchanges or by order of the Commission, the NASD, or
      any other governmental or regulatory authority; or (v) if a banking
      moratorium has been declared by any state or Federal authority; or (vi)
      if, in the judgment of the Representatives, there has occurred a Material
      Adverse Effect, or

            (b) at or before any Closing Date, that any of the conditions
      specified in Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required
      by this Agreement.

            If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to any of its provisions,
the Company shall not be under any liability to any Underwriter, and no
Underwriter shall be under any liability to the Company, except that (y) if this
Agreement is terminated by the Representatives or the Underwriters because of
any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company to comply with the
terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, the Company will
reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the
reasonable fees and disbursements of their counsel) incurred by them in
connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Shares or in contemplation
of performing their obligations hereunder and (z) no Underwriter who shall have
failed or refused to


                                      -24-
<Page>


purchase the Shares agreed to be purchased by it under this Agreement, without
some reason sufficient hereunder to justify cancellation or termination of its
obligations under this Agreement, shall be relieved of liability to the Company
or to the other Underwriters for damages occasioned by its failure or refusal.

            10. SUBSTITUTION OF UNDERWRITERS. If one or more of the Underwriters
shall fail (other than for a reason sufficient to justify the termination of
this Agreement under Section 9) to purchase on any Closing Date the Shares
agreed to be purchased on such Closing Date by such Underwriter or Underwriters,
the Representatives may find one or more substitute underwriters to purchase
such Shares or make such other arrangements as the Representatives may deem
advisable or one or more of the remaining Underwriters may agree to purchase
such Shares in such proportions as may be approved by the Representatives, in
each case upon the terms set forth in this Agreement. If no such arrangements
have been made by the close of business on the business day following such
Closing Date,

            (a) if the number of Shares to be purchased by the defaulting
      Underwriters on such Closing Date shall not exceed 10% of the Shares that
      all the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date, then
      each of the nondefaulting Underwriters shall be obligated to purchase such
      Shares on the terms herein set forth in proportion to their respective
      obligations hereunder; PROVIDED, that in no event shall the maximum number
      of Shares that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to Section
      1 be increased pursuant to this Section 10 by more than one-ninth of such
      number of Shares without the written consent of such Underwriter, or

            (b) if the number of Shares to be purchased by the defaulting
      Underwriters on such Closing Date shall exceed 10% of the Shares that all
      the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date, then the
      Company shall be entitled to one additional business day within which it
      may, but is not obligated to, find one or more substitute underwriters
      reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives to purchase such Shares
      upon the terms set forth in this Agreement.

            In any such case, either the Representatives or the Company shall
have the right to postpone the applicable Closing Date for a period of not more
than five business days in order that necessary changes and arrangements
(including any necessary amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement
or Prospectus) may be effected by the Representatives and the Company. If the
number of Shares to be purchased on such Closing Date by such defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters shall exceed 10% of the Shares that all the
Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date, and none of the
nondefaulting Underwriters or the Company shall make arrangements pursuant to
this Section within the period stated for the purchase of the Shares that the
defaulting Underwriters agreed to purchase, this Agreement shall terminate with
respect to the Shares to be purchased on such Closing Date without liability on
the part of any nondefaulting Underwriter to the Company and without liability
on the part of the Company, except in both cases as provided in Sections 6(b),
7, 8 and 9. The provisions of this Section shall not in any way affect the
liability of any defaulting Underwriter to the Company or the nondefaulting
Underwriters arising out of such default. A substitute underwriter hereunder
shall become an Underwriter for all purposes of this Agreement.


                                      -25-
<Page>


            11. MISCELLANEOUS. The respective agreements, representations,
warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and
of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement shall remain
in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf
of any Underwriter or the Company or any of the officers, directors or
controlling persons referred to in Sections 7 and 8 hereof, and shall survive
delivery of and payment for the Shares. The provisions of Sections 6(b), 7, 8
and 9 shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.

            This Agreement has been and is made for the benefit of the
Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors and assigns, and, to
the extent expressed herein, for the benefit of persons controlling any of the
Underwriters, or the Company, and directors and officers of the Company, and
their respective successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or
have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term "successors and
assigns" shall not include any purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter merely
because of such purchase.

            All notices and communications hereunder shall be in writing and
mailed or delivered or by telephone or telegraph if subsequently confirmed in
writing, (a) if to the Representatives, c/o CIBC World Markets Corp., 417 Fifth
Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10016 Attention: Jane Brennan Pritchett,
Managing Director, with a copy to Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional
Corporation, 12 East 49th Street, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10017 Attention:
Alexander D. Lynch, Esq. and (b) if to the Company, to its agent for service as
such agent's address appears on the cover page of the Registration Statement
with a copy to Goodwin Procter LLP, Exchange Place, Boston, MA 02109, Attention:
Andrew F. Viles, P.C.

            This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of New York, applicable to agreements made and to be fully
performed therein.

            This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of
which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto
and hereto were upon the same instrument.


                                      -26-
<Page>


            Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement
among us.

                                          Very truly yours,

                                          DOV PHARMACEUTICAL, INC.

                                          By:___________________________________
                                              Name: Arnold S. Lippa, Ph.D.
                                              Title: Chief Executive Officer

Confirmed:

CIBC WORLD MARKETS CORP.

________________________________________

Acting severally on behalf of itself
and as representative of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I annexed
hereto.

CIBC WORLD MARKETS CORP.

By:_____________________________________
    Name:
    Title:


                                      -27-
<Page>


                                   SCHEDULE I

<Table>
<Caption>
                                                                 Number of
                                                              Firm Shares to
                         Name                                  Be Purchased
- --------------------------------------------------------  ----------------------

                                                       
CIBC World Markets Corp.

Lehman Brothers, Inc.

Lazard Freres & Co. LLC

Fidelity Capital Markets LLC
                                                             ---------------

                                                  Total            5,000,000
</Table>