FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDICIS CONTACT:                             BioMarin CONTACT:
- ---------------                              ----------------
Kara Stancell, Investor Relations &          Joshua A. Grass, Director,
Corporate Communications, (602) 808-3854     Business Development and Finance
                                             Relations, (415) 506-6777, or
                                             Susan Ferris, Manager, Corporate
                                             Communications, (415) 506-6701

                      MEDICIS AND BIOMARIN REACH SETTLEMENT

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona and NOVATO, California--January 12, 2005--Medicis (NYSE:MRX)
and  BioMarin  Pharmaceutical  Inc.  ("BioMarin)  (Nasdaq  and SWX:  BMRN) today
announced  that they have entered into  amendments  to the  Securities  Purchase
Agreement  and License  Agreement  entered into on May 18,  2004, a  Convertible
Promissory  Note  ("Convertible  Note")  and a  Settlement  and  Mutual  Release
Agreement (collectively the "Agreements").

Under the terms of the Agreements, transaction payments from BioMarin to Medicis
previously totaling $175 million will be reduced to $159 million. Beginning with
license  payments  relating to Orapred to be made by  BioMarin  after July 2005,
license payments totaling $93 million will be reduced pro rata to $88.4 million.
Consideration  to be  received by Medicis  from  BioMarin in 2009 for the option
relating to the purchase of all outstanding  shares of Ascent Pediatrics will be
reduced  from $82 million to $70.6  million.  Medicis  will take full  financial
responsibility   for  contingent   payments  due  to  former  Ascent   Pediatric
shareholders  without the $5 million offset payment that would have been paid by
BioMarin to Medicis  after July 1, 2005.  Contingent  payments are due to former
Ascent Pediatric shareholders from Medicis only if revenue from Ascent Pediatric
products exceeds certain thresholds.  The Agreements will not require adjustment
to the previously disclosed Medicis fiscal 2005 financial guidance.

Additionally,  Medicis will make available to BioMarin a Convertible  Note up to
$25  million  beginning  July 1, 2005  based on  certain  terms  and  conditions
including a change of control  provision.  Money advanced under the  Convertible
Note is  convertible  into  BioMarin  shares at a strike price equal to BioMarin
average  closing  price  for the 20  trading  days  prior to such  advance.  The
Convertible  Note matures on the option  purchase date in 2009 as defined in the
Security  Purchase  Agreement but may be repaid by BioMarin at any time prior to
the option  purchase  date. In  conjunction  with the  Agreements,  BioMarin and
Medicis have entered into a settlement and Mutual  Release  Agreement to forever
discharge  each  other  from  any  and  all  claims,  demands,  damages,  debts,
liabilities,   actions  and  causes  of  action   relating  to  the  transaction
consummated  by  the  parties  other  than  certain  continuing  obligations  in
accordance with the terms of the parties' agreements.

About BioMarin

Headquartered   in   Novato,    California,    BioMarin   develops    innovative
biopharmaceutical products and commercializes therapeutics for serious diseases.
For additional information about BioMarin, please visit the Company's website at
www.bmrn.com.

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About Medicis

Medicis  is the  leading  independent  specialty  pharmaceutical  company in the
United  States  focusing  primarily  on  the  treatment  of  dermatological  and
podiatric  conditions  and  aesthetics  medicine.  The Company is  dedicated  to
helping  patients  attain a healthy  and  youthful  appearance  and  self-image.
Medicis has leading  branded  prescription  products in a number of  therapeutic
categories,  including acne,  eczema,  fungal  infections,  psoriasis,  rosacea,
seborrheic  dermatitis  and skin and  skin-structure  infections.  The Company's
products  have earned wide  acceptance  by both  physicians  and patients due to
their clinical effectiveness, high quality and cosmetic elegance.

The Company's products include the prescription brands RESTYLANE(R),  DYNACIN(R)
(minocycline HCl), LOPROX(R)  (ciclopirox),  OMNICEF(R)  (cefdinir),  PLEXION(R)
(sodium    sulfacetamide/sulfur),    TRIAZ(R)   (benzoyl   peroxide),   LIDEX(R)
(fluocinonide),  and SYNALAR(R) (fluocinolone  acetonide),  the over-the-counter
brand  ESOTERICA(R),  and BUPHENYL(R)  (sodium  phenylbutyrate),  a prescription
product indicated in the treatment of Urea Cycle Disorder.  For more information
about Medicis, please visit the website at www.medicis.com.

Except for historical information,  this press release includes "forward-looking
statements"  within the meaning of the  Securities  Litigation  Reform Act.  All
statements  included in this press  release that address  activities,  events or
developments that Medicis or BioMarin  expects,  believes or anticipates will or
may occur in the future are forward-looking  statements.  This includes earnings
estimates,  future financial performance and other matters. These statements are
based  on  certain  assumptions  made by  Medicis  and  BioMarin  based on their
respective  experience and perception of historical trends,  current conditions,
expected  future  developments  and other factors it believes are appropriate in
the circumstances. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks
and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Medicis and BioMarin.
Any such  projections  or  statements  include the current  views of Medicis and
BioMarin with respect to future events and financial performance.  No assurances
can be given, however, that these events will occur or that such results will be
achieved.  Medicis  cannot  validate its  assumptions  of the full impact on its
business of the  approval of  competitive  generic  versions of its core brands,
including DYNACIN(R) Tablets and/or LOPROX(R), or any future competitive product
approvals  that may affect its brands.  Also,  there are a number of  additional
important  factors that could cause  actual  results to differ  materially  from
those projected, including the anticipated size of the markets for each company,
the  availability  of product  supply for each company,  the receipt of required
regulatory  approvals  applicable for each company,  the risks and uncertainties
normally  incident to the  pharmaceutical  industry,  dependence on sales of key
products,  the  uncertainty  of future  financial  results and  fluctuations  in
operating results,  dependence on Medicis' strategy including the uncertainty of
license  payments  and/or other payments due from third parties,  the timing and
success  of new  product  development  by  Medicis  or  third  parties,  product
introductions,  the risks of  pending  or  future  litigation,  and other  risks
described from time to time in each company's SEC filings including their Annual
Reports on Form 10-K.  Forward-looking  statements  represent  the  judgment  of
Medicis' and BioMarin's  management as of the date of this release,  and Medicis
and BioMarin  disclaim any intent or  obligation  to update any  forward-looking
statements.

NOTE:  Full  prescribing  information  for any Medicis  prescription  product is
available by contacting  the Company.  OMNICEF(R)  is a registered  trademark of
Abbott Laboratories, Inc. under a license from Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
RESTYLANE(R)  is a  registered  trademark  of HA  North  American  Sales  AB,  a
subsidiary  of Medicis  Pharmaceutical  Corporation.  ORAPRED(R) is a registered
trademark of Medicis Pediatrics,  Inc. All other marks (or brands) and names are
the property of Medicis or its Affiliates.

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