AtheroGenics, Inc. , a pharmaceutical company based in Alpharetta and focused on the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, today announced the promotion of Joseph M. Gaynor, Jr. to Senior Vice President and General Counsel.

Mr. Gaynor joined AtheroGenics in 2005 as Vice President and General Counsel and a member of the Company's Executive Committee. As Senior Vice President and General Counsel, he is responsible for all aspects of the Company's legal affairs, reporting to Russell M. Medford, M.D., Ph.D., AtheroGenics' President and Chief Executive Officer.

"Joe's leadership and his contributions across the AtheroGenics organization make him an invaluable member of our team," said Dr. Medford. "His knowledge and depth of understanding of the functional areas of operation within AtheroGenics allow Joe to play a pivotal role in advancing our Company into its next stage of growth."

Prior to joining AtheroGenics, Mr. Gaynor was Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for all U.S. subsidiaries of Belgian pharmaceuticals group, UCB Pharma. In that role, Mr. Gaynor directed a legal department responsible for licensing and collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, healthcare regulatory and corporate compliance matters, and the strategic management of complex litigation.

Before joining UCB, Mr. Gaynor served as Legal Counsel at Lanier Worldwide, Inc. and was an associate at the Atlanta law firm of Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy. Mr. Gaynor received his law degree from Emory University School of Law.

About AtheroGenics

AtheroGenics is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, including heart disease (atherosclerosis), rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. The Company has two drug development programs currently in the clinic. AtheroGenics' lead compound, AGI-1067, is being evaluated in the pivotal Phase III ARISE clinical trial as an oral therapy for the treatment of atherosclerosis, in collaboration with AstraZeneca. AGI-1096 is a novel, oral agent in Phase I that is being developed for the prevention of organ transplant rejection in collaboration with Astellas. AtheroGenics also has preclinical programs in rheumatoid arthritis and asthma utilizing its proprietary vascular protectant® technology. For more information about AtheroGenics, please visit www.atherogenics.com.