EXHIBIT 5.1

                                                                     F A R R I S

25th Floor            Vancouver, BC       Tel 604 684 9151       www.farris.com
700 W Georgia St      Canada V7Y 1B3      Fax 604 661 9349


                                                       February 10, 2005


Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corporation
1203-4464 Markham Street
Victoria, BC
Canada V8Z 7X8

Dear Sirs/Mesdames:

                  RE:   ASPREVA PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
                        REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM F-1


We have acted as corporate counsel to Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a
company existing under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the
"Company"), in connection with the registration by the Company pursuant to a
registration statement (the "Registration Statement") on Form F-1 filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), related to the proposed issuance by
the Company of up to 8,280,000 common shares (the "Shares"), which includes up
to 1,080,000 common shares issuable upon exercise of an over-allotment option
proposed to be granted by the Company. This opinion is being delivered in
connection with the Registration Statement, to which this opinion appears as an
exhibit.


We have examined the Registration Statement and, for the purposes of this
opinion, we have also examined the originals, or duplicate, certified,
conformed, telecopied or photostatic copies, of such corporate records,
agreements, documents and other instruments and have made such other
investigations as we have considered necessary or relevant for the purposes of
this opinion. With respect to the accuracy of factual matters material to this
opinion, we have relied upon certificates or comparable documents and
representations of public officials and of officers and representatives of the
Company.

In giving this opinion, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the
legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted
to us as originals, the conformity to authentic original documents of all
documents submitted to us as duplicates, certified, conformed, telecopied or
photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter
documents.



We are qualified to express opinions only with respect to the laws of the
Province of British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.
We express no opinion on the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Province of
British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.

Based and relying upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications,
assumptions and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares
have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and sold in the manner
described in the Registration Statement, will be validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the
Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the caption "Legal
Matters" in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In giving
this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are within the category of persons
whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and
regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

                                          Yours truly,


                                          FARRIS, VAUGHAN, WILLS & MURPHY


                                          /s/ R. Hector MacKay-Dunn, Q.C.

                                          R. Hector MacKay-Dunn, Q.C.