Exhibit 99.1

Contacts:


Joshua Grass                                           Fredda Malkoff
Manager, Investor and Financial Relations              Account Director
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.                           Feinstein Kean Healthcare
(415) 884-6777                                         (617) 577-8110




For Immediate Release:

          BioMarin Proceeds with NeutralaseTM Phase III Clinical Trial

Novato,  California,  September 30, 2002 - BioMarin  Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq
and SWX New Market:  BMRN) today  announced  that it has  completed the critical
steps required for Neutralase clinical  development,  and for patient enrollment
in its Phase III clinical trial in Coronary  Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery.
These accomplishments include:

   o The submission of the Phase III clinical protocol to the U.S. Food and Drug
     Administration (FDA);
   o The identification and  preparation  of 30 clinical sites at leading  North
     American CABG centers;
   o A 40-fold improvement in the production yield; and
   o The signing of a contract  with, and  transfer of production  technology to
     Diosynth RTP Inc., a subsidiary of  Akzo Nobel (Nasdaq: AKZOY), which  will
     manufacture the enzyme for the Neutralase program.

Fredric  D.  Price,  BioMarin's  Chairman  and Chief  Executive  Officer,  said,
"Neutralase is a product that meets 4 key investment and planning criteria:  (1)
It could  represent  a  significant  improvement  in clinical  outcomes;  (2) It
addresses  markets  with  large  numbers  of  patients;  (3)  It  has  a  strong
proprietary position; and (4) It can be manufactured at low cost.

"In the 11 months that we have owned this proprietary Neutralase technology,  we
have made great strides in all aspects of its development. The first trials will
evaluate the reversal of heparin in CABG  procedures;  we will  subsequently  be
evaluating   Neutralase  in   interventional   cardiology   procedures  such  as
percutaneous  transluminal  coronary angioplasty (PTCA), and in other procedures
where heparin or the newer heparin-like anticoagulants such as Lovenox(R) (a Low
Molecular Weight Heparin) or Arixtra(R) (a pentasacharride) are used, such as in
hip and knee surgeries.

"If  Neutralase  is  successful,   it  will  provide  substantial  clinical  and
pharmaco-economic  benefits to  approximately  600,000 CABG patients and 900,000
angioplasty  patients  throughout  the  world,  as well as to others  undergoing
surgery  outside of the cardiac  suite.  We anticipate  that the first Phase III
trial in CABG will be completed in the 4th quarter of 2003."



Proposed Phase III Clinical Trial in Primary CABG Surgery

Subject to FDA  comments,  the 1st of 2 Phase III trials of  Neutralase  will be
conducted in patients  undergoing CABG surgery,  both on-pump and off-pump.  The
proposed trial is expected to enroll  approximately 600 patients at 30 sites (24
in the US and 6 sites in Canada).  The proposed protocol compares  Neutralase to
protamine  for its  ability to reverse  the  effects of heparin  following  CABG
surgery.  The  primary  endpoint in the  proposed  study is  non-inferiority  of
Neutralase  compared to protamine based on cumulative chest tube drainage (CTD).
The trial protocol is also designed to evaluate a variety of adverse hemodynamic
events in patients treated with Neutralase and protamine. In addition, the trial
seeks to evaluate morbidity and mortality of each treatment group.

If the trial is successful,  BioMarin anticipates that it will commence a second
pivotal Phase III study shortly thereafter.

Protamine, the only drug available, but never approved by FDA to reverse heparin
in CABG  surgery,  has been  associated  with  systemic  hypotension  as well as
pulmonary   hypertension,   both  of   which   can   lead  to   life-threatening
complications.  Protamine has also been  associated  with platelet  dysfunction,
complement  activation,  and  thrombus  formation,  which  can  cause  excessive
bleeding, organ dysfunction, and stroke, respectively.

Manufacturing of Neutralase

Since the acquisition of Neutralase from Ibex Technologies Inc. in October 2001,
BioMarin  has  improved   manufacturing  yields  approximately  40-fold  through
advances in the bacterial  fermentation and downstream  purification  processes.
BioMarin  expects  further  improvements  in  manufacturing  cost  efficiency as
production  volume is increased.  At the present time,  without  possible future
volume-related cost efficiencies, the total manufacturing cost of Neutralase has
been reduced by a factor of 10 and it is  anticipated  that upon  approval,  the
product could generate gross margins of approximately 85-90%.

BioMarin has  determined  that it is more efficient and less costly to outsource
the  manufacturing  of  Neutralase,   which  is  produced  in  bacterial  cells.
Therefore,  the Company  entered  into an  agreement  with  Diosynth RTP Inc., a
subsidiary of Akzo Nobel, to manufacture enzyme for the Neutralase program. Both
the process  development  and  scale-up  technology  are in the process of being
transferred. Consequently, BioMarin has reduced its capital spending forecast by
approximately  $40 million over the next 3 years as a result of this decision to
work with a recognized  worldwide  leader in the  manufacturing  of  recombinant
proteins.

                                       2


BioMarin's  existing  clinical  and  commercial   manufacturing   facility  uses
mammalian  cell-based   recombinant  systems,  and  will  continue  to  be  used
exclusively for production of its lysosomal storage disease products.

Neutralase Reversal of Heparin in Primary CABG Surgery

In all  CABG  procedures,  heparin  must  be  used to  avoid  potentially  fatal
complications  arising from blood clotting,  and protamine is used after surgery
to reverse  the  anticoagulant  effects of  heparin in order  prevent  excessive
bleeding.  Neutralase is being evaluated as a heparin  reversal agent that is an
alternative to protamine in CABG, based upon clinical  observations from a Phase
II trial in which Neutralase was compared to protamine.

In published medical  journals,  protamine has been associated with a variety of
adverse  events  that  can  lead to  costly,  and  potentially  life-threatening
complications.1,2,3,4

In a Phase II trial of 94  patients,  Neutralase  demonstrated  its  ability  to
reverse  the  effects  of  heparin,  at two doses (10 and 15  ug/kg).  Activated
Clotting  Time (ACT) and  anti-Factor  Xa levels  appeared to decrease in a dose
dependent manner. In addition, patients receiving either Neutralase dose trended
towards less systemic  hypotension and fewer  hemodynamic  interventions.  There
were no significant  differences in the number of adverse events (AEs) occurring
in the Neutralase and protamine  groups.  The most frequent AEs occurring in the
Neutralase treatment groups were anemia,  hemorrhage,  nausea, fever, and atrial
fibrillation.

Dr. Jeffrey Borer,  Harriman  Professor of Cardiovascular  Medicine at the Weill
Medical College of Cornell University in New York commented,  "Anesthesiologists
and cardiovascular  surgeons have been seeking an alternative to protamine for a
long time.  Results thus far with Neutralase have been  encouraging;  it has the
potential to allow  physicians to have better control over bleeding  without the
complications  that we must currently  manage.  This could lead to significantly
improved outcomes for CABG patients."

In  1999,  there  were  approximately  600,000  CABG  surgeries  worldwide  with
approximately 60% of these procedures in the US. 5

Neutralase Reversal of Heparin in Angioplasty

Neutralase has also been studied as a heparin reversal agent in PTCA. As in CABG
surgery,  heparin is administered to prevent clotting during the PTCA procedure.
However,  protamine usage is avoided in angioplasty  because it can cause severe
adverse reactions and acute thrombosis formation.

                                       3


A Phase II trial was conducted in 28 patients  undergoing  angioplasty to assess
whether  Neutralase at different  doses could be used to safely reverse  heparin
anticoagulation and to reduce the time to patient ambulation. After angioplasty,
each patient was randomized,  in a double-blind  fashion, to placebo, or 3, 7 or
15 ug/kg of Neutralase.  No patient received an infusion of an antiplatelet drug
in the study.  Patients receiving Neutralase achieved an ACT of < 150 seconds in
less than 30 minutes  versus 160  minutes  for  placebo.  When the ACT was < 150
seconds,  the sheath was pulled and manual  pressure was applied for 20 minutes.
The mean successful  ambulation time for patients  receiving  Neutralase  ranged
from  4.97 to 5.36  hours  versus  9 hours  for  placebo.  No  patient  suffered
hypotension,  inadequate  hemostasis,  groin  hematoma,  pseudoaneurysm,  failed
attempted ambulation, ischemia, or thrombosis.

In 1999 there were approximately 600,000 angioplasties performed in the US.6

BioMarin  intends  to  initiate a clinical  trial for the use of  Neutralase  in
angioplasty upon the successful completion of the Phase III CABG trials.

Reversal of New Anticoagulants in Other Surgeries

New  heparin-like  anti-clotting  agents have been  developed in recent years in
response to problems  associated with unfractionated  heparin.  Heparin has been
used to prevent deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism,  but a number
of problems,  including an  unpredictable  dose  response  rate, an inability to
inhibit clot-bound thrombin, and a relatively high potential for the development
of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia,  prevents unfractionated heparin from wider
usage in other  indications.  As a result, Low Molecular Weight Heparins (LMWHs)
such as  Lovenox,  and  pentasacharrides  such as Arixtra  are now being used to
manage  a  variety  of  thrombotic,   cardiovascular,   orthopedic  surgery  and
metastatic  disorders.  Protamine is less  effective as a reversal agent for the
LMWHs and is not effective on synthetic heparin-like  pentasaccharides.  The use
of the agents in orthopedic  surgery and unstable  angina is  associated  with a
significant bleeding risk.

In preclinical  and in vitro  studies,  Neutralase has been shown to reverse the
anticoagulant   effects   of  the  new  LMWHs  and  a   synthetic   heparin-like
pentasaccharide.  Neutralase is more  effective  than protamine in reversing the
LMWHs and is the only agent known to efficiently  reverse Arixtra in preclinical
and in vitro studies.

                                       4


According to estimates provided by the Health Care Financing  Administration and
the American  Academy of  Orthopaedic  Surgeons,  approximately  318,000 hip and
335,000 knee replacement  surgeries were performed in the United States alone in
2001.

BioMarin  intends  to  initiate a clinical  trial for the use of  Neutralase  to
reverse Lovenox and Arixtra upon the successful completion of the Phase III CABG
trials.

BioMarin  specializes in the  development and  commercialization  of therapeutic
enzyme products to treat serious, life-threatening diseases and conditions.

This  press  release  contains  forward-looking  statements  about the  business
prospects  of BioMarin  Pharmaceutical  Inc.,  including  its product  candidate
Neutralase.  These forward-looking  statements are predictions and involve risks
and  uncertainties  such that actual  results may differ  materially  from these
statements.   Results  may  differ  materially  depending  on  the  progress  of
BioMarin's product programs, the approval and actual results of planned clinical
trials of Neutralase, BioMarin's ability to manufacture Neutralase at commercial
scale, future actions of regulatory  agencies,  including the United States Food
and Drug  Administration  and similar foreign  agencies,  treatment  methods for
various medical conditions,  developments of products by BioMarin's  competitors
and those  factors  detailed  in  BioMarin's  filings  with the  Securities  and
Exchange Commission such as 10Q, 10K and 8K reports.  Stockholders are urged not
to place undue reliance on  forward-looking  statements,  which speak only as of
the date hereof.  BioMarin is under no obligation,  and expressly  disclaims any
obligation,  to update  or alter any  forward-looking  statement,  whether  as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.

BioMarin's press releases and other Company  information are available online at
http://www.biomarinpharm.com.  Information on our website is not incorporated by
reference into this press release.






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1 Stephen E. Kimmel  et al.   Mortality  and  Adverse  Events  After  Protamine
Administration in  Patients Undergoing  Cardiopulmonary  Bypass.  Cardiovascular
Anesthesia 2002;94:402-8
2 J. A.  Carr et  al.  The  Heparin  Protamine  Interaction.  The  Journal  of
Cardiovascular Surgery 1999;40:659-66
3 Stephen E. Kimmel et  al.  Adverse  Events after  Protamine  Administration in
Patients   Undergoing  Cardiopulmonary   Bypass:  Risks   and  Predictors  of
Under-Reporting. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998;51:1-10
4 Michael C. Mauney  et al.  Stroke Rate  is  Markedly  Reduced  after  Carotid
Endarterectomy  by  Avoidance of Protamine. Journal of Vascular Surgery 1995;22:
264-270
5 U.S. data from U.S. Center for Health Statistics, Vital and Health Statistics,
European  Union (EU) data from  British Foundation  Statistics Database, Rest of
World (ROW) based on average EU CABG rate multiplied by developed ROW population
6 U.S. Center for Health Statistics, Vital and Health Statistics

                                       5