News & Events

Cambridge, MA, January 5, 2005 -- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) will webcast its corporate presentation at JPMorgan's 23rd Annual Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, California. The presentation will be delivered by Joshua Boger, Ph.D., Vertex's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer on Monday, January 10, 2005, at 4:30 p.m. EST.

The presentation will be webcast live and may be accessed by visiting the Vertex website at www.vrtx.com. A replay of the webcast will also be available on the Company's website until January 24, 2005. To access the webcast, go to Vertex's website and select '23rd Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference.' To ensure a timely connection to the webcast, it is recommended that users register at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled webcast.

About Vertex

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated is a global biotechnology company committed to the discovery and development of breakthrough small molecule drugs for serious diseases. The Company's strategy is to commercialize its products both independently and in collaboration with major pharmaceutical partners. Vertex's product pipeline is principally focused on viral diseases, inflammation, autoimmune diseases and cancer. Vertex co-promotes the HIV protease inhibitor, Lexiva®, with GlaxoSmithKline.

Lexiva® is a registered trademark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.

Vertex Contacts: Lora Pike, Manager, Investor Relations, (617) 444-6755