CONTACT:  Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Peter A. Clemens, SVP Investor Relations & CFO  (847-705-7709)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ACURA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. ANNOUNCES ANDREW REDDICK PRESIDENT & CEO, TO TAKE MEDICAL LEAVE AND APPOINTMENT OF RICHARD MARKHAM AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Palatine, IL, February 27, 2008: Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACUR) announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Reddick has begun a leave of absence for health reasons for an as-yet undetermined period. Mr. Reddick will continue to serve as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.  At the same time, the Company announced that Richard Markham has been appointed to serve as non-executive Chairman of the Board.  Mr. Markham has been a member of our Board of Directors since May, 2006. Since November, 2004 Mr. Markham has served as a partner at Care Capital, LLC, a venture capital firm that primarily invests in life sciences companies. From May 2002 until August 2004, Mr. Markham was the Vice Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Operating Officer of Aventis SA. From December, 1999 until May, 2002 he was the Chief Executive Officer of Aventis Pharma AG. Previously he was the Chief Executive Officer of Hoechst Marion Roussel, the President and Chief Operating Officer of Marion Merrell Dow, Inc. and a member of its board of directors. From 1973 to 1993 Mr. Markham was associated with Merck & Co. Inc., culminating in his position as President and Chief Operating Officer.  

The Company’s Board of Directors, management and staff all wish Mr. Reddick a full and speedy recovery and look forward to his return as soon as possible. 

About Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 

Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in research, development and manufacture of innovative Aversion® (abuse deterrent) Technology and related product candidates.  

Forward Looking Statements 

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements are based on current expectations of future events.  If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from our Company’s expectations and projections.  The most significant of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, our ability, and the ability of  King Pharmaceuticals Research and Development, Inc. and other pharmaceutical companies, if any, with whom we may license our Aversion® Technology, to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and commercialize products utilizing the Aversion® Technology, the ability to avoid infringement of patents, trademarks and other proprietary rights or trade secrets of third parties, and the ability to fulfill the FDA’s requirements for approving our product candidates for commercial manufacturing and distribution in the United States, including, without limitation, the adequacy of the results of the clinical studies completed to date and the results of other clinical studies, to support FDA approval of our product candidates, the adequacy of the development program for our product candidates, changes in regulatory requirements, adverse safety findings relating to our product candidates, the risk that the FDA may not agree with our analysis of its clinical studies and may evaluate the results of these studies by different methods or conclude that the results of the studies are not statistically significant, clinically meaningful or that there were human errors in the conduct of the studies or otherwise, the risk that further studies of our product candidates are not positive, and the uncertainties inherent in scientific research, drug development, clinical trials, the regulatory approval process, and commercial supply.  You are encouraged to review other important risk factors relating to our operations on our web site at www.acurapharm.com under the link, “Company Risk Factors” and detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments. Our press releases may be reviewed at www.acurapharm.com.

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