EXHIBIT 99.1


NPS PHARMACEUTICALS ANNOUNCES CLOSING OF MERGER WITH ALLELIX


     SALT LAKE CITY, and TORONTO, Dec. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- NPS Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. (Nasdaq: NPSP) and Allelix Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (Toronto: AXB) announced
today that the merger between the two companies has now closed.  At special
shareholders meetings in Salt Lake City and Toronto on December 15, 1999, the
shareholders of both companies approved the merger and the Canadian court gave
final approval on December 17, 1999.  The Company is now operating as NPS
Pharmaceuticals in the U.S. and as NPS Allelix in Canada.  In the U.S., the
trading symbol on Nasdaq will remain "NPSP," while in Canada, NPS Allelix will
trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "NX."

     The merger calls for NPS Pharmaceuticals to issue approximately 6.5 million
shares of common stock to Allelix common shareholders at an exchange ratio of
0.3238 shares of NPS common stock for each outstanding share of Allelix stock.
In addition to the 6.5 million shares, approximately 1 million shares of NPS
common stock were reserved for issuance to the holders of Allelix options,
warrants, and preferred stock at the same exchange ratio. Under the arrangement,
Allelix shareholders that are not residents of Canada have received NPS common
shares.  Allelix shareholders that are residents of Canada received either NPS
common shares or shares of NPS Allelix that are exchangeable one for one into
NPS common shares.

     Additional information regarding the merger of NPS and Allelix and the
programs of the new company can be obtained in the U.S. by contacting David
Clark, Vice President, Corporate Communications and Development at NPS
Pharmaceuticals, at (801) 583-4939, and in Canada by contacting Paul Van Damme,
Vice President, Finance, NPS Allelix, at (905) 677-0831.  The NPS web page
(http://www.npsp.com) also contains additional information regarding the merger
and a link to the Allelix web page.

     NOTE:  Statements included within this press release, which are not
historical in nature, constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the
safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those described herein.  For a more complete
discussion of risks and uncertainties, please refer to cautionary statements
made in NPS documents filed with the SEC, in particular the Company's proxy
statement delivered to stockholders in connection with the merger and its annual
report on Form 10-K.