News

SENOMYX ANNOUNCES ISSUANCE OF KEY PATENT COVERING METHODS OF SCREENING FOR NEW SWEET TASTE MODULATORS

LA JOLLA, CA - October 19, 2005 - Senomyx, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNMX) announced today the issuance by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office of a key patent covering the use of the human sweet taste receptor to screen for compounds that can be used to modulate sweet taste. U.S. Patent No. 6,955,887, "Use of T1R Hetero-Oligomeric Taste Receptor to Screen for Compounds that Modulate Taste Signaling," has broad-based claims that cover novel techniques for using the human sweet taste receptor as the basis for assay systems that are more efficient than traditional flavor discovery procedures.

"This patent is an important addition to Senomyx's intellectual property portfolio," said Kent Snyder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Senomyx. "The new patent covers the rapid receptor-based screening methods that allow us to screen and identify an unprecedented number of potential new sweet flavor ingredients. These flavor ingredients may have applications in multiple product categories such as confectionaries, cereal, ice cream, beverages, yogurt, desserts, spreads, and bakery products, each of which represents a sizeable commercial market opportunity."

"The screening technology covered by the patent capitalizes on Senomyx's pioneering work in understanding the structure and function of the human sweet taste receptor," explained Mark Zoller, Ph.D., Senomyx's Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of Research. "The issued claims cover co-expression of the two sweet receptor subunits, hT1R2 and hT1R3, and their use in cell-based assays to identify ingredients that modulate sweet taste. Senomyx is active in seeking patent protection for its discoveries, and the Company is now the owner or exclusive licensee of 68 issued patents and 206 pending patent applications in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere."

"The new patent also reinforces our position as a leading company focused on using proprietary taste receptor-based assays to discover novel flavor ingredients for use in the packaged food and beverage industry," Snyder added. "Senomyx has entered into product discovery and development collaborations with five of the world's leading packaged food and beverage companies: Cadbury Schweppes, Campbell Soup Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods, and Nestlé. Our goal is to leverage our discovery and development capabilities by establishing additional collaborations with market leading companies that are looking to enhance the nutritional profile of their products by reducing the levels of carbohydrate sweeteners, salt, or MSG, or to enhance the overall taste characteristics of their products."

About Senomyx, Inc. (www.senomyx.com)

Senomyx is a biotechnology company using proprietary taste receptor-based assays, screening technologies and optimization chemistry to discover and develop novel flavors, flavor enhancers and taste modulators for the packaged food and beverage industry. Senomyx's current programs focus on the development of flavors, flavor enhancers and taste modulators in the savory, sweet, salt and bitter taste areas. Senomyx has entered into product discovery and development collaborations with five of the world's leading packaged food and beverage companies: Cadbury Schweppes, Campbell Soup Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods Global, Inc. and Nestlé SA.

Forward-Looking Statement

Statements included in this press release that are not a description of fact are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, our ability to identify potential flavor ingredients, the product categories our products will address, the size of the commercial opportunity for our products, and plans for additional collaborations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by us that any of our plans, projections or future financial, scientific or business objectives will be achieved. Our actual results may differ materially from any projected future results set forth in this release as a result of the risks and uncertainties inherent in our business including, without limitation, difficulties or delays in developing, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, producing and marketing our flavors, flavor enhancers, taste modulators and related technologies; whether we will be able to enter into additional collaborations; our ability to collect royalties under our collaborations; the progress and timing of our scientific programs; changes in the laws or regulations of the United States and other countries that could adversely affect our and our collaborators' ability to develop and commercialize our products; whether any of our collaborations will result in the discovery and development of novel flavors, flavor enhancers or taste modulators, enhance the nutritional profile of products incorporating them or otherwise enhance our market position; our ability to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology and to maintain and enforce our patents and licensing arrangements with various third party licensors; our ability to define the scope and validity of patent protection for our products and technologies; competition from other companies and flavor manufacturers and other risks detailed in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2005. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and we undertake no obligation to revise or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Contacts

Scientific		Investor Relations
Mark Zoller, Ph.D.		Gwen Rosenberg
Vice President of Research, Chief Scientific Officer		Executive Director, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Senomyx, Inc.		Media & Senomyx, Inc.
858-646-8307		858-646-8369
mark.zoller@senomyx.com		gwen.rosenberg@senomyx.com