2013/1/29 - Ventrus Biosciences Announces Proposed Public Offerings of Common Stock and Series A Convertible Preferred Stock

William Blair & Company, L.L.C. is acting as the sole underwriter of these offerings.

Each of these offerings is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offer, if at all, will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus forming a part of the effective registration statement, copies of which may be obtained, when available, from William Blair & Company, L.L.C. at 222 West Adams Street, Chicago, IL 60606, Attention: Prospectus Department, by telephone at (800) 621-0687, or by email at prospectus@williamblair.com.

About Ventrus Biosciences

Ventrus is a development stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development of late-stage prescription drugs for gastrointestinal problems, specifically anal disorders. Our lead product is topical diltiazem (VEN 307) for the treatment of anal fissures, for which the first Phase 3 trial was initiated in November 2010, and reported positive top line results in May 2012. The second Phase 3 trial began enrollment in the fourth quarter of 2012 and is ongoing. Our product candidate portfolio also includes topical phenylephrine (VEN 308) intended to treat fecal incontinence.  VEN 307 and VEN 308 are two molecules that were previously approved and marketed for other indications and that have been formulated into our in-licensed proprietary topical treatments for these new gastrointestinal indications.

Please Note: The information provided herein contains estimates and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Such 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, among others: our ability to complete the offerings, including the satisfaction of the closing conditions for each offering; our use of the anticipated proceeds from the offerings; the components, timing, cost and results of clinical trials and other development activities involving our product candidates; the unpredictability of the clinical development of our product candidates and of the duration and results of regulatory review of those candidates by the FDA and foreign regulatory authorities; the unpredictability of the size of the markets for, and market acceptance of, any of our products; our anticipated capital expenditures, our estimates regarding our capital requirements, and our need for future capital; our reliance on our lead product candidate, VEN 307; our ability to retain and hire necessary employees and to staff our operations appropriately; and the possible impairment of, or inability to obtain, intellectual property rights and the costs of obtaining such rights from third parties. The reader is referred to the documents that we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT: Ventrus Biosciences, Inc.
         David Barrett
         646-706-5208
         dbarrett@ventrusbio.com
         
         Argot Partners
         David Pitts
         212-600-1902
         david@argotpartners.com