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                                                                  EXHIBIT (A)(8)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


                                                          
COMPANY    Timothy Mayleben                           MEDIA        Jim Wetmore
CONTACT:   Chief Operating Officer & CFO              CONTACT:     Berry & Company Public Relations
           Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.                             (212) 253-8881
           (734) 222-1809                                          jwetmore@berrypr.com
           tmayleben@esperion.com




           ESPERION ANNOUNCES SETTLEMENT OF SHORT-SWING PROFIT LAWSUIT

ANN ARBOR, MI (January 8, 2004) - Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESPR)
today announced that the Durus Life Sciences Master Fund, Ltd. (Durus Fund) has
agreed to pay Esperion $32.2 million and certain interest payments as settlement
of liability under a lawsuit filed by Esperion in the U.S. District Court in
Connecticut.

Esperion filed suit on August 25, 2003 to recover profits made by the Durus
Fund, Durus Capital Management LLC, Durus Capital Management N.A., LLC and Scott
Sacane from purchases and sales of Esperion common stock that represented
short-swing transactions under Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Esperion will release and
discharge the Durus Fund, Durus Capital Management LLC, Durus Capital Management
N.A., LLC and Scott Sacane from any and all further claims by Esperion and/or
its stockholders arising under section 16(b) with respect to these transactions.
The dismissal of the lawsuit is subject to the Court's approval.

ESPERION THERAPEUTICS

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. discovers and develops pharmaceutical products for
the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Esperion intends to commercialize a
novel class of drugs that focuses on a new treatment approach called "HDL
Therapy," which is based on the Company's understanding of high-density
lipoprotein, or HDL, function. HDL is the primary facilitator of the reverse
lipid transport, or RLT, pathway by which excess cholesterol and other lipids
are removed from artery walls and other tissues and are transported to the liver
for elimination from the body. Esperion's goal is to develop drugs that exploit
the beneficial functions of HDL within the RLT pathway. Esperion currently has
four product candidates in clinical development. Esperion is listed on the
Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "ESPR."

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

The information contained in this press release includes "forward-looking
statements." These forward-looking statements are often identified by words such
as "hope," "may," "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "require,"
"intend," "assume" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date of this press release, reflect management's current
expectations, estimations and projections and involve certain factors, such as
risks and uncertainties, that may cause actual results, performance or
achievements to be far different from those suggested by Esperion's
forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, risks
associated with: uncertainty as to whether Esperion's acquisition by Pfizer will
be completed, Esperion's ability to successfully execute its business
strategies, including entering into strategic partnerships or other transactions
if the transaction with Pfizer is not completed; the progress and cost of
development of Esperion's product candidates; the extent and timing of market
acceptance of new products developed by Esperion or its competitors;



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ESPERION ANNOUNCES SETTLEMENT OF SHORT-SWING PROFIT LAWSUIT               page 2

Esperion's dependence on third parties to conduct clinical trials for Esperion's
product candidates; the extent and timing of regulatory approval, as desired or
required, for Esperion's product candidates; Esperion's dependence on licensing
arrangements and strategic relationships with third parties; clinical trials;
manufacturing; Esperion's dependence on patents and proprietary rights;
litigation, proceedings, investigations and other disruptions of management's
time resulting from the acquisition of Esperion's common stock by various
persons associated with Scott Sacane; the procurement, maintenance, enforcement
and defense of Esperion's patents and proprietary rights; competitive conditions
in the industry; business cycles affecting the markets in which any of
Esperion's future products may be sold; extraordinary events and transactions;
seeking and consummating business acquisitions, including the diversion of
management's attention to the assimilation of the operations and personnel of
any acquired business; fluctuations in foreign exchange rates; and economic
conditions generally or in various geographic areas. Because all of the
foregoing factors are difficult to forecast, you should not place undue reliance
on any forward-looking statement. More detailed information about some of these
and other risk factors is set forth in Esperion's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. Esperion does not intend to update any of these factors
or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of these
forward-looking statements other than as required under the federal securities
laws.


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