EXHIBIT 23.1


                       Consent of Independent Accountants


         We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration
Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-56360) of our report dated February 8, 2002
relating to the financial statements, which appears in Inspire Pharmaceuticals,
Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001. We also
consent to the reference to us under the heading "Selected Financial Data."





/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Raleigh, North Carolina
March 22, 2002