Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Adam C. Derbyshire                  Mike Freeman
           Vice President and                  Director, Investor Relations and
           Chief Financial Officer             Corporate Communications
           919-862-1000                        919-862-1000


                         SALIX PHARMACEUTICALS ANNOUNCES
                         SENIOR MANAGEMENT APPOINTMENTS

RALEIGH, NC, October 29, 2001 - Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (Nasdaq:SLXP) today
announced the appointment of Allen Mangel, M.D., Ph.D., as Vice President,
Research and Development, and Scott Sykes, M.D., as Vice President, Medical
Affairs & Chief Medical Officer.

As Vice President, Research and Development, Dr. Mangel will be responsible for
the planning and execution of the Company's product development efforts,
including the evaluation of new product opportunities and the clinical
development and regulatory approval of product candidates. Prior to joining
Salix, Dr. Mangel was Worldwide Head of Gastroenterology Clinical Development
for GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Mangel holds an M.D. degree from the Georgetown
University School of Medicine and a Ph.D. degree in physiology from the
University of Illinois.

As Vice President, Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sykes will be
responsible for all medical affairs, including drug information services,
product safety, and post-marketing surveillance. Dr. Sykes joins the Company
from GlaxoSmithKline, where he served most recently as Vice President, North
American Product Surveillance. Dr. Sykes holds an M.D. degree from the
University of North Carolina School of Medicine.



Commenting on these appointments, Robert Ruscher, President and Chief Executive
Officer, stated, "The creation of a team of individuals capable of expediting
the acquisition, development and ongoing support of an expanding portfolio of
innovative products for gastroenterologists and their patients is a critical
component of our corporate mission. The addition of these two
industry-experienced senior executives reflects Salix's ongoing commitment to
building the premier specialty pharmaceutical company focusing on
gastroenterologists and their patients."

Lorin Johnson, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer, and
Co-Founder, stated, "Dr. Mangel's training as a gastroenterologist, combined
with his success in securing product approval from the Gastrointestinal and
Coagulation Drug Products Division of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
uniquely qualify him to lead the Company's product development efforts. His
contribution to the Company will be invaluable as we work to expand our
portfolio beyond COLAZAL(TM) and rifaximin. Dr. Sykes brings 18 years of
industry experience to the Company. We look forward to his leadership to ensure
that all Salix products - both marketed and in development - are supported with
a high level of product safety and medical information services."

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, develops
and markets prescription pharmaceutical products for the treatment of
gastrointestinal diseases. Salix's strategy is to in-license proprietary
therapeutic drugs which have an existing database of positive, late-stage
clinical data; complete the development and regulatory submission of these
products; and market them through the Company's gastroenterology specialty sales
force. Salix's lead product is COLAZAL(TM), an anti-inflammatory drug approved
for the treatment of mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis. The Company
launched the product in the U.S. through its specialty sales force in January
2001. Salix's follow-on product candidate is rifaximin, currently in development
for the potential treatment of infections of the lower gastrointestinal tract.
The Company currently intends to submit an NDA for rifaximin for the treatment
of infectious diarrhea to the U.S. FDA in December 2001. Salix trades on the
Nasdaq National Market under the ticker symbol "SLXP."

For more information please contact the Company at 919-862-1000 or visit our web
site at www.salixpharm.com.
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         Please Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements
         regarding future events. These statements are just predictions and are
         subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual events
         or results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include
         the need to acquire additional products, risks of clinical trials and
         regulatory review, and management of rapid growth. The reader is
         referred to the documents that the Company files from time to time with
         the Securities and Exchange Commission.