EXHIBIT 99.1


ELITE PHARMACEUTICALS APPOINTS CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER

NORTHVALE, N.J.--April 29, 2008 --Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Elite" or the
"Company") (AMEX: ELI), announced the appointment of Stuart Apfel M.D., its
current Chief Medical Officer as its Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Apfel will
replace Dr. Veerappan Subramanian, who has been Elite's acting Chief Scientific
Officer since February 9, 2007.

In his capacity as Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Apfel will oversee all
scientific activities and personnel of the Company.

"We are fortunate to have such a capable and skilled pharmaceutical developer
and executive lead our scientific team. Dr. Apfel's experience in the
development and clinical testing of pharmaceutical products and his scientific
and regulatory expertise will be invaluable to us as we enter the later stages
of clinical testing of our pain products. We also wish to thank Dr. Subramanian
for his service as our interim Chief Scientific Officer and acknowledge his
contributions to our Company." said Bernard Berk, Chairman and CEO of Elite.

Dr. Stuart Apfel has been Elite's Chief Medical Officer since January 3, 2008.
Dr. Apfel is also the founder and current president of Parallax Clinical
Research, a New York-based consulting firm that provides strategic and practical
assistance with clinical trial protocol design, planning, initiating and
management to biotechnology and small pharmaceutical companies with making the
transition from the bench to a clinical development program, and in this
capacity he has served as a consultant to the Company over the past year. From
2004 to 2006, Dr. Apfel was employed at DOV Pharmaceuticals, Inc. initially as a
director of clinical research and then as a senior director of clinical
research. From 2000 to 2004, Dr. Apfel was employed at Purdue Pharma L.P. Dr.
Apfel initially worked as an associate director of clinical research at Purdue
Pharma L.P. and then was promoted to a director of clinical research. Dr. Apfel
is a board certified neurologist, and is currently on faculty as Associate
Professor of Neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and at
Downstate Medical School, where he continues to teach. From 1990 to 2000, he was
a full time faculty member in the departments of Neurology and Neuroscience at
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where his research focused on the
application of neurotrophic factors to neurologic disease.

ABOUT ELITE PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Elite Pharmaceuticals WWW.ELITEPHARMA.COM is a specialty pharmaceutical company
principally engaged in the development and manufacturing of oral
controlled-release products. The Company's strategy includes developing generic
versions of controlled release drug products with high barriers to entry and
assisting partner companies in the life cycle management of products to improve
off-patent drug products. Elite's technology is applicable to develop delayed,
sustained or targeted release capsules or tablets. Elite has two products
currently being sold commercially and a pipeline of seven drug products under
development in the therapeutic areas that include pain management, allergy and
infection. The addressable market for Elite's current pipeline of products
exceeds $6 billion. Elite operates a GMP and DEA registered facility for
research, development, and manufacturing located in Northvale, NJ.

THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, INCLUDING THOSE RELATED
TO THE PRELIMINARY NATURE OF THE CLINICAL PROGRAM RESULTS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR
FURTHER PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, THAT INVOLVE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN RISKS, DELAYS,
UNCERTAINTIES AND OTHER FACTORS NOT UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE COMPANY, WHICH MAY
CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE COMPANIES TO BE
MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR OTHER EXPECTATIONS IMPLIED
BY THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE SUBSTANTIAL FUTURE
TESTING WILL BE REQUIRED PRIOR TO APPROVAL, THE RESULTS DESCRIBED ABOVE MAY NOT
BE SUPPORTED BY ADDITIONAL DATA OR BY THE RESULTS OF SUBSEQUENT TRIALS. THESE
RISKS AND OTHER FACTORS, INCLUDING THE TIMING OR RESULTS OF PENDING AND FUTURE
CLINICAL TRIALS, REGULATORY REVIEWS AND APPROVALS BY THE FOOD AND DRUG
ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITIES, AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
PROTECTIONS AND DEFENSES, ARE DISCUSSED IN




ELITE'S FILINGS WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION SUCH AS THE 10K, 10Q
AND 8K REPORTS. THE COMPANY UNDERTAKES NO OBLIGATION TO UPDATE ANY
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS.

CONTACTS:
Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Dianne Will, Investor Relations, 518-398-6222
DIANNE@ELITEPHARMA.COM