Exhibit 31.1

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

                           CERTIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO
                                 SECTION 302 OF
                         THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Robert J. Capetola, certify that:

1. I have reviewed  this annual  report on Form 10-K of Discovery  Laboratories,
Inc.;

2.  Based on my  knowledge,  this  annual  report  does not  contain  any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements
were made,  not  misleading  with  respect to the period  covered by this annual
report;

3.  Based  on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
information  included  in this annual  report,  fairly  present in all  material
respects,  the financial condition,  results of operations and cash flows of the
registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I  are  responsible  for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

         a) designed  such  disclosure  controls and  procedures  to ensure that
         material  information   relating  to  the  registrant,   including  its
         consolidated  subsidiaries,  is made known to us by others within those
         entities, particularly during the period in which this annual report is
         being prepared;

         b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's  disclosure controls
         and  procedures  and  presented in this annual  report our  conclusions
         about the effectiveness of the disclosure  controls and procedures,  as
         of the end of the period covered by this annual report (the "Evaluation
         Date"); and

         c)  disclosed  in this  annual  report any  change in the  registrant's
         internal  control over  financial  reporting  that occurred  during the
         registrant's  most recent fiscal quarter that has materially  affected,
         or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed,  based on our
most recent  evaluation of internal  control over  financial  reporting,  to the
registrant's auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors
(or persons performing the equivalent functions):

         a) all significant  deficiencies and material  weaknesses in the design
         or operation of internal  control over  financial  reporting  which are
         reasonably likely adversely affect the registrant's  ability to record,
         process, summarize and report financial information; and

         b) any fraud,  whether or not  material,  that  involves  management or
         other  employees  who  have a  significant  role  in  the  registrant's
         internal control over financial reporting.

Date:  March 15, 2004                           /s/ Robert J. Capetola
       --------------                           -------------------------------
                                                Robert J. Capetola, Ph.D.
                                                President and
                                                Chief Executive Officer