As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 22, 2005

Registration No. 333 — _____

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

_________________

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

_________________

NPS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	87-0439579
(State or other jurisdiction of	(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)	Identification Number)

383 Colorow Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1256
(801) 583-4939
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

___________________

Kevin J. Ontiveros
Associate General Counsel
NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
383 Colorow Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1256
(801) 583-4939
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

With a copy to:

Thomas E. Hartman, Esq.
Foley & Lardner LLP
One Detroit Center 500
Woodward Avenue, Suite 2700
Detroit, Michigan 48226
(313) 234-2800

        Approximate Date of Commencement of Proposed Sale to the Public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

        If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box:  

        If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box:  

        If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  

        If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  

        If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434, please check the following box.  

_________________

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of Each Class of Securities To be Registered(1)	Proposed Maximum Offering Price(2)(3)	Amount of Registration Fee(4)
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (5)	(6)	(6)
Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share	(6)	(6)
Depositary Shares	(6)	(6)
Debt Securities	(6)	(6)
Warrants	(6)	(6)
Total	$200,000,000	$23,540

(1) There are being registered hereunder such indeterminate number of shares of common stock, preferred stock and depositary shares, such indeterminate number of warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, and such indeterminate principal amount of debt securities as shall have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $200,000,000. If any debt securities are issued at an original issued discount, then the offering price of such debt securities shall be in such greater principal amount as shall result in an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $200,000,000, less the aggregate dollar amount of all securities previously issued hereunder. Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as units with other securities registered hereunder. The securities registered also include such indeterminate amounts and numbers of common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares and debt securities as may be issued upon conversion of or exchange for preferred stock or debt securities that provide for conversion or exchange, upon exercise of warrants or pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of any such securities.

(2) In United States dollars or the equivalent thereof in any other currency, currency unit or units, or composite currency or currencies.

(3) The proposed maximum per unit and aggregate offering prices per class of security will be determined from time to time by the registrant in connection with the issuance by the registrant of the securities registered hereunder.

(4) Estimated solely for purposes of determining the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(5) The aggregate amount of common stock registered hereunder is limited to that which is permissible under Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act.

(6) Not required to be included in accordance with General Instruction II.D. of Form S-3.

        THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SECTION 8(A), MAY DETERMINE.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

Subject to Completion, dated August 22, 2005

PROSPECTUS

NPS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

$200,000,000

COMMON STOCK
PREFERRED STOCK
DEPOSITARY SHARES
DEBT SECURITIES
WARRANTS

_________________

We may from time to time issue up to $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, debt securities and/or warrants. We will specify in the accompanying prospectus supplement the terms of the securities. We may sell these securities to or through underwriters and also to other purchasers or through agents. We will set forth the names of any underwriters or agents in the accompanying prospectus supplement.

_________________

INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS.
SEE “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 4.

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol “NPSP.” On August 19, 2005, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq National Market was $9.24 per share. Prospective purchasers of common stock are urged to obtain current information as to the market prices of our common stock.

_________________

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

_________________

This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

The date of this prospectus is _________, 2005.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	Page
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS	2
OUR BUSINESS	3
RISK FACTORS	4
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS	4
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES	5
USE OF PROCEEDS	5
THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER	6
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK	6
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK	8
DESCRIPTION OF THE DEPOSITARY SHARES	9
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES	11
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS	15
LEGAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES	16
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION	19
LEGAL MATTERS	20
EXPERTS	20
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION	20
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE	20

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

In this prospectus, “NPS,” “we,” “us,” “our” or “ours” refer to NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we may, from time to time, sell the securities or combinations of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings with a maximum aggregate offering price of up to $200,000,000. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time we offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not making offers to sell or solicitations to buy the securities in any jurisdiction in which an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making that offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or solicitation. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, as well as the information we previously filed with the SEC that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, is accurate as of any date other than its respective date. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

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OUR BUSINESS

The following is only a summary. We urge you to read the entire prospectus, including the more detailed financial statements, notes to the financial statements and other information incorporated by reference from our other filings with the SEC. Investing in our securities involves risk. Therefore, carefully consider the information provided under the heading “Risk Factors” on page 4.

Our objective is to build a profitable biopharmaceutical company by discovering, developing and commercializing small molecule drugs and recombinant proteins. Our current products and product candidates are primarily for the treatment of bone and mineral disorders, gastrointestinal disorders and central nervous system disorders. We have one U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved product as well as other product candidates in various stages of clinical development and preclinical development. We are also promoting another FDA approved product on behalf of another pharmaceutical company.

Our FDA approved product, cinacalcet HCl, has received marketing approval in the U.S., the European Union and Canada, for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis and for the treatment of elevated calcium levels in patients with parathyroid carcinoma. We have licensed to Amgen Inc., or Amgen, worldwide rights to cinacalcet HCl, with the exception of Japan, China, North and South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan, where we have licensed such rights to Kirin Brewery Company, Ltd., or Kirin. Amgen developed and is marketing cinacalcet HCl in the U.S. under the brand name Sensipar^® and in Europe under the brand name Mimpara^®. Kirin is presently in Phase 3 clinical trials with cinacalcet HCl. Both Amgen and Kirin have contractually committed to pay us royalties on their sales of cinacalcet HCl.

PREOS^® is our most advanced product candidate. PREOS^® is our brand name for recombinant, full-length human parathyroid hormone which we are developing as a potential treatment for post-menopausal osteoporosis. We have successfully completed a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial with PREOS^®. We filed a new drug application, or NDA, with the FDA for approval to market PREOS^® in the U.S. on May 10, 2005. The FDA has accepted the NDA for PREOS^® for review. We have granted to Nycomed Danmark ApS, or Nycomed, the exclusive right to market and sell PREOS^® in Europe. Nycomed also assumed responsibility to file all necessary regulatory filings to obtain marketing approval for PREOS^® in Europe. Nycomed filed its European marketing authorization application, or MAA, with the European Medicines Evaluation Authority, or EMEA, in March 2005. Upon approval, Nycomed intends to market PREOS^® in Europe under the brand name PREOTACT^®.

We are conducting a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial with teduglutide, our analog of glucagon-like peptide 2, in patients with short bowel syndrome and are also conducting a proof-of-concept Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with Crohn’s disease. Our corporate licensee, GlaxoSmithKline, is engaged in Phase 1 clinical development activities with calcilytic compounds licensed from us for the potential use in osteoporosis. Additionally, the first investigational new drug application has been filed with the FDA for a compound active at metabotropic glutamate receptors. The compound was selected from an array of molecules included in a joint research and development agreement with AstraZeneca AB. We are also evaluating the potential use of a proprietary compound, isovaleramide, in a variety of central nervous system disorders. In August 2004, we entered into an agreement with Amgen to promote Amgen’s proprietary drug, Kineret^®, a biologic therapy approved for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. We believe our activities under this agreement will accelerate our creation of a sales organization in preparation for the commercial launch of PREOS^®. We have also entered into a collaborative research, development and license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutical N.V., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Janssen has initiated a Phase 1 clinical study with a compound licensed under this agreement.

We have incurred cumulative losses from inception through June 30, 2005 of approximately $673.6 million, net of cumulative revenues from research and license agreements of approximately $103.6 million. We expect to continue to incur significant operating losses over at least the next several years as we continue our current and anticipated development projects. The review of the PREOS^® NDA by the FDA and our response to FDA requests, commercial manufacturing activities, the build-up of the infrastructure necessary for the commercial launch of PREOS^® and the conduct of pre- and post-FDA approval clinical trials with PREOS^® will substantially contribute to the operating losses. Other activities that will increase our operating losses include: the conduct of clinical trials with teduglutide and contractual commitments to fund research activities in our metabotropic glutamate receptor program.

We are a Delaware corporation. Our principal executive offices are located at 383 Colorow Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108-1256. Our telephone number is (801) 583-4939. Our website is http://www.npsp.com. We make available free of charge on or through our Internet website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus.

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NPS®, NPS Pharmaceuticals® and PREOS® are our registered trademarks. Trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities is very risky. Please carefully consider the risk factors described in our periodic reports filed with the SEC, including our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2005, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider these risks as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference in this prospectus or include in any applicable prospectus supplement. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we deem currently immaterial may also impair our business operations. You should be able to bear a complete loss of your investment. See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference therein contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements represent our management’s judgment regarding future events. In many cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “plan,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “predict,” “intend,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other words of similar import, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference therein regarding our financial position, business strategy and plans or objectives for future operations are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the broader description of forward-looking statements above, we specifically note that statements regarding potential drug candidates, their potential therapeutic effect, the possibility of obtaining regulatory approval, our ability or the ability of our collaborators to manufacture and sell any products, market acceptance or our ability to earn a profit from sales or licenses of any drug candidate or discover new drugs in the future are all forward-looking in nature. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the forward-looking statements, and you should be aware that results and events could differ materially and adversely from those contained in the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including:  

• the risks inherent in our research and development activities, including the successful continuation of our strategic collaborations, our and our collaborators’ability to successfully complete clinical trials, commercialize products and receive required regulatory approvals and the length, time and cost of obtaining such regulatory approvals;

• competitive factors;

• our ability to maintain the level of our expenses consistent with our internal budgets and forecasts;

• the ability of our contract manufacturers to successfully produce adequate supplies of our product candidates to meet our clinical trial and commercial launch requirements;

• changes in our relationships with our collaborators;

• variability of our royalty, license and other revenues;

• our ability to enter into and maintain agreements with current and future collaborators on commercially reasonable terms;

• uncertainty regarding our patents and patent rights;

• compliance with current or prospective governmental regulation;

• technological change; and

• general economic and market conditions.

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You should also consider carefully the statements set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2005, which addresses these and additional factors that could cause results or events to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the applicable cautionary statements. We have no plans to update these forward-looking statements.

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

(in thousands)

	Six Months Ended	Years Ended December 31,
	June 30, 2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000
Ratio of earnings available to cover fixed charges	--	--	--	--	--	--

For the years ended December 31, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and the six months ended June 30, 2005 our earnings were insufficient to cover fixed charges for those periods by $31,612, $49,668, $86,934, $172,925, $166,618 and $87,112, respectively. In calculating the ratio of earnings available to cover fixed charges, “earnings” consist of pre-tax income (loss) before adjustments for income from equity investees, plus fixed charges and distributed income from equity investees. Fixed charges consist of interest expense and estimated interest included in rental expense.

USE OF PROCEEDS

We expect to use the proceeds from the sale of the securities to commercialize our products and product candidates, fund clinical trials of our product candidates, fund the development of our sales, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and build-up of inventory, advance our preclinical research programs, in-license or acquire complementary product candidates or products, technologies or companies, repay existing indebtedness, and fund general corporate purposes.

The amount and timing of actual expenditures for the purposes set forth above may vary based on several factors and our management will retain broad discretion as to the proper allocation of the proceeds.

We may set forth additional information on the use of net proceeds from the sale of securities we offer under this prospectus in a prospectus supplement relating to the specific offering.

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THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

The descriptions of the securities contained in this prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplements, summarize all the material terms and provisions of the various types of securities that we may offer. We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to any securities the particular terms of the securities offered by that prospectus supplement. If we indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, the terms of the securities may differ from the terms we have summarized below. We will also include in the prospectus supplement information, where applicable, about material United States federal income tax considerations relating to the securities, and the securities exchange, if any, on which the securities will be listed.

We may sell from time to time, in one or more offerings:

• common stock;

• preferred stock;

• depositary shares;

• debt securities; and/or

• warrants.

This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following description of our capital stock does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the more complete descriptions set forth in our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and our Amended and Restated Bylaws. We have filed these documents as exhibits to certain of the documents incorporated by reference into this offering memorandum.

General

We are authorized to issue 105,000,000 shares of common stock, $.001 par value, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $.001 par value. As of August 16, 2005, there were approximately 38,935,543 shares of common stock issued and outstanding.

Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted upon by the stockholders and there are no cumulative voting rights. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding preferred stock, holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably the dividends, if any, that are declared from time to time by the board of directors out of funds legally available for that purpose. If there is a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of NPS, the holders of common stock are entitled to share in any assets remaining after the payment of liabilities and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any outstanding shares of preferred stock. Holders of common stock have no preemptive or conversion rights or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable. The powers, preferences and rights of the holders of common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that we may designate in the future.

Stockholder Rights Plan

On December 4, 1996, our board of directors adopted a stockholder rights plan and declared a distribution of one preferred stock purchase right for each share of our common stock outstanding on December 31, 1996, and each share of common stock issued after that date. Our board amended the plan on December 31, 2001 to increase the purchase price and extend the term. The rights are transferable with our common stock until they become exercisable, but are not exercisable until the distribution date described in the plan. Generally, the plan distribution date will not occur until a person or group acquires or makes a tender offer for 20 percent or more of our outstanding common stock. The rights expire on December 31, 2011 unless we redeem them at an earlier date. The expiration date may be extended by our board. When a right becomes exercisable, its holder is entitled to purchase from us 1/100th of a share of preferred stock at a purchase price of $300.00, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances.

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Until the plan distribution date, the purchase rights will be evidenced by the certificates for common stock registered in the names of holders of our common stock. As soon as practical following the plan distribution date, we will mail separate certificates evidencing the rights to common stockholders of record.

If any person or group acquires 20 percent or more of our common stock, the rights holders will be entitled to receive upon exercise, that number of shares of common stock that at the time have a market value equal to twice the purchase price of the right. The shares of preferred stock acquired upon exercise of a purchase right are not redeemable and are entitled to preferential quarterly dividends. They are also entitled to preferential rights in the event of our liquidation. Finally, if any business combination occurs in which our common shares are exchanged for shares of another company, each preferred share will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount per common share of our company.

If we are acquired in a business combination, the purchase rights holders will be entitled to acquire, for the purchase price, that number of shares of common stock of the acquiring corporation that, at the time, have a market value equal to twice the purchase price of the purchase right. Our board has the right to redeem the purchase rights in certain circumstances for $.01 per share, subject to adjustment.

The rights plan is designed to protect our stockholders in the event of unsolicited offers to acquire us and other coercive takeover tactics, which, in the board’s opinion, would impair its ability to represent our stockholders’ interests. The rights plan may make an unsolicited takeover more difficult or less likely to occur or may prevent a takeover, even though it may offer our stockholders the opportunity to sell their stock at a price above the prevailing market rate and may be favored by a majority of our stockholders.

Other Obligations to Issue Capital Stock

We have adopted and maintain equity incentive plans pursuant to which we are authorized to issue stock, stock options, deferred stock units and other types of compensation for directors, employees, consultants and other persons who provide services to us. Our employees are also given the right to purchase our common stock at favorable purchase prices under some of these plans. In the event of a change in control transaction in which we are not the surviving corporation or in which more than 50 percent of the shares of our common stock entitled to vote are exchanged, all outstanding, unvested options shall vest and become immediately exercisable. As of August 16, 2005, we had outstanding options and deferred stock units to acquire 5,753,544 shares of common stock under these plans. We have reserved an additional 2,748,958 shares of common stock for future issuance under these plans.

We have also issued $192 million aggregate principal amount of our 3% Convertible Notes due 2008 that are convertible into our common stock at a conversion price of approximately $36.59 of principal per share of common stock, subject to adjustment in certain specified circumstances, at any time on or before June 15, 2008.

Anti-Takeover Provisions

Delaware Law.    We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, the statute prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination or the transaction by which the person became an interested stockholder is approved by the corporation’s board of directors and/or stockholders in a prescribed manner or the person owns at least 85% of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock after giving effect to the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder. The term “business combination” includes mergers, asset sales and other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years did own, 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock. A Delaware corporation may “opt out” from the application of Section 203 through a provision in its certificate of incorporation or by-laws. We have not “opted out” from the application of Section 203.

Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws Provisions

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and Amended and Restated Bylaws include the following provisions, among others, that could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change of control:

• the number of directors that constitutes the whole board of directors shall be fixed exclusively by one or more resolutions adopted by the board of directors;

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• vacancies on our board of directors, including those resulting from an increase in the number of directors, shall be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the board of directors, and not by the stockholders;

• a stockholder’s notice of the stockholder’s intent to bring business before an annual meeting or to nominate a person for election to the board of directors must be received by us within strict guidelines which may make it more difficult for stockholders to bring items before the meetings; and

• our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and our Amended and Restated Bylaws do not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors.

In addition, the authorization of undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for the board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of NPS.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, Inc. Their address is 350 Indiana Street, Suite 800, Golden, Colorado 80401 and their telephone number is (303) 262-0600.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK

We are authorized to issue, without stockholder approval, up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share, having rights senior to those of our common stock. As of the date of this prospectus we did not have any outstanding shares of preferred stock. Our board of directors is authorized to issue the preferred stock in one or more series and to fix and designate the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of the preferred stock, including:

• dividend rights;

• conversion rights;

• voting rights;

• redemption rights and terms of redemption; and

• liquidation preferences.

Our board may fix the number of shares constituting any series and the designations of these series. The rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of the preferred stock of each series will be fixed by a certificate of designation relating to each series. The prospectus supplement relating to each series will specify the terms of the preferred stock, including:

• the maximum number of shares in the series and the distinctive designation;

• the terms on which dividends will be paid, if any;

• the terms on which the shares may be redeemed, if at all;

• the liquidation preference, if any;

• the terms of any retirement or sinking fund for the purchase or redemption of the shares of the series;

• the terms and conditions, if any, on which the shares of the series will be convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of any other class or classes of capital stock;

• the voting rights, if any, on the shares of the series; and

• any or all other preferences and relative, participating, operational or other special rights or qualifications, limitations or restrictions of the shares.

We will describe the specific terms of a particular series of preferred stock in the prospectus supplement relating to that series. The description of preferred stock above and the description of the terms of a particular series of preferred stock in the prospectus supplement are not complete. You should refer to the applicable certificate of designation for complete information. The prospectus supplement will contain a description of U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the preferred stock.

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Our issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control. Our issuance of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to the holders of common stock or could adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of the holders of common stock. The issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of decreasing the market price of our common stock.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DEPOSITARY SHARES

At our option, we may elect to offer fractional shares of preferred stock, rather than full shares of preferred stock. If we do elect to offer fractional shares of preferred stock, we will issue to the public receipts for depositary shares and each of these depositary shares will represent a fraction of a share of a particular series of preferred stock, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Each owner of a depositary share will be entitled, in proportion to the applicable fractional interest in shares of preferred stock underlying that depositary share, to all rights and preferences of the preferred stock underlying that depositary share. These rights include dividend, voting, redemption and liquidation rights.

The shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares will be deposited with a bank or trust company selected by us to act as depositary, under a deposit agreement between us, the depositary and the holders of the depositary receipts. The depositary will be the transfer agent, registrar and dividend disbursing agent for the depositary shares.

The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the depositary agreement. Holders of depositary receipts agree to be bound by the deposit agreement, which requires holders to take certain actions such as filing proof of residence and paying certain charges.

The summary of terms of the depositary shares contained in this prospectus is not complete. You should refer to the forms of the deposit agreement, our amended certificate of incorporation and the certificate of amendment for the applicable series of preferred stock that will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Dividends

The depositary will distribute cash dividends or other cash distributions, if any, received in respect of the series of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares to the record holders of depositary receipts in proportion to the number of depositary shares owned by those holders on the relevant record date. The relevant record date for depositary shares will be the same date as the record date for the preferred stock.

In the event of a distribution other than in cash, the depositary will distribute property received by it to the record holders of depositary receipts that are entitled to receive the distribution, unless the depositary determines that it is not feasible to make the distribution. If this occurs, the depositary, with our approval, may adopt another method for the distribution, including selling the property and distributing the net proceeds to the holders.

Liquidation preference

If a series of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares has a liquidation preference, in the event of the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of NPS, holders of depositary shares will be entitled to receive the fraction of the liquidation preference accorded each share of the applicable series of preferred stock, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Redemption

If a series of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares is subject to redemption, the depositary shares will be redeemed from the proceeds received by the depositary resulting from the redemption, in whole or in part, of the preferred stock held by the depositary. Whenever we redeem any preferred stock held by the depositary, the depositary will redeem, as of the same redemption date, the number of depositary shares representing the preferred stock so redeemed. The depositary will mail the notice of redemption to the record holders of the depositary receipts promptly upon receiving the notice from us and no fewer than 20 or more than 60 days, unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, prior to the date fixed for redemption of the preferred stock.

Voting

Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of preferred stock are entitled to vote, the depositary will mail the information contained in the notice of meeting to the record holders of the depositary receipts underlying the preferred stock. Each record holder of those depositary receipts on the record date will be entitled to instruct the depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights pertaining to the amount of preferred stock underlying that holder’s depositary shares. The record date for the depositary will be the same date as the record date for the preferred stock. The depositary will try, as far as practicable, to vote the preferred stock underlying the depositary shares in accordance with these instructions. We will agree to take all action which may be deemed necessary by the depositary in order to enable the depositary to vote the preferred stock in accordance with these instructions. The depositary will not vote the preferred stock to the extent that it does not receive specific instructions from the holders of depositary receipts.

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Withdrawal of preferred stock

Owners of depositary shares will be entitled to receive upon surrender of depositary receipts at the principal office of the depositary:

• the number of whole shares of preferred stock underlying their depositary shares; and

• payment of any unpaid amount due to the depositary.

Partial shares of preferred stock will not be issued. Holders of preferred stock will not be entitled to deposit the shares under the deposit agreement or to receive depositary receipts evidencing depositary shares for the preferred stock.

Amendment and termination of deposit agreement

The form of depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares and any provision of the deposit agreement may be amended by agreement between us and the depositary. However, any amendment which materially and adversely alters the rights of the holders of depositary shares, other than fee changes, will not be effective unless the amendment has been approved by at least a majority of the outstanding depositary shares. The deposit agreement may be terminated by the depositary or us only if:

• all outstanding depositary shares have been redeemed; or

• there has been a final distribution of the preferred stock in connection with our dissolution and such distribution has been made to all the holders of depositary shares.

Charges of depositary

We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of the depositary arrangement. We will also pay charges of the depositary in connection with:

• the initial deposit of the preferred stock;

• the initial issuance of the depositary shares;

• any redemption of the preferred stock; and

• all withdrawals of preferred stock by owners of depositary shares.

Holders of depositary receipts will pay transfer, income and other taxes and governmental charges and other specified charges as provided in the deposit agreement for their accounts. If these charges have not been paid, the depositary may:

• refuse to transfer depositary shares;

• withhold dividends and distributions; and

• sell the depositary shares evidenced by the depositary receipt.

Miscellaneous

The depositary will forward to the holders of depositary receipts all reports and communications we deliver to the depositary that we are required to furnish to the holders of the preferred stock. In addition, the depositary will make available for inspection by holders of depositary receipts at the principal office of the depositary, and at such other places as it may from time to time deem advisable, any reports and communications we deliver to the depositary as the holder of preferred stock.

Neither we nor the depositary will be liable if either of us is prevented or delayed by law or any circumstance beyond either of our control in performing our respective obligations under the deposit agreement. Our obligations and the depositary’s obligations will be limited to the performance in good faith by each party of their respective duties under the deposit agreement. Neither we nor the depositary will be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding in respect of any depositary shares or preferred stock unless satisfactory indemnity is furnished. We and the depositary may rely on:

• written advice of counsel or accountants;

• information provided by holders of depositary receipts or other persons believed in good faith to be competent to give such information; and

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• documents believed to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.

Resignation and removal of depositary

The depositary may resign at any time by delivering a notice to us. We may remove the depositary at any time. Any such resignation or removal will take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment. The successor depositary must be appointed within 60 days after delivery of the notice for resignation or removal. The successor depositary must be a bank and trust company having its principal office in the United States of America and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000.

Federal income tax consequences

Owners of the depositary shares will be treated for Federal income tax purposes as if they were owners of the preferred stock underlying the depositary shares. As a result, owners will be entitled to take into account for Federal income tax purposes deductions to which they would be entitled if they were holders of such preferred stock. No gain or loss will be recognized for Federal income tax purposes upon the withdrawal of preferred stock in exchange for depositary shares. The tax basis of each share of preferred stock to an exchanging owner of depositary shares will, upon such exchange, be the same as the aggregate tax basis of the depositary shares exchanged. The holding period for preferred stock in the hands of an exchanging owner of depositary shares will include the period during which such person owned such depositary shares.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any future debt securities we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any debt securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we indicate in a prospectus supplement, the terms of any debt securities we offer under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms we describe below.

We will issue the senior notes under the senior indenture which we will enter into with a trustee to be named in the senior indenture. We will issue the subordinated notes under the subordinated indenture which we will enter into with a trustee to be named in the subordinated indenture. We have filed forms of these documents as exhibits to the registration statement which includes this prospectus. We use the term “indentures” to refer to both the senior indenture and the subordinated indenture. The indentures will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act. We use the term “debenture trustee” to refer to either the senior trustee or the subordinated trustee, as applicable.

The following summaries of material provisions of the senior notes, the subordinated notes and the indentures are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt securities. Except as we may otherwise indicate, the terms of the senior indenture and the subordinated indenture are identical.

General

We will describe in each prospectus supplement the following terms relating to a series of notes:

• the title;

• any limit on the amount that may be issued;

• whether or not we will issue the series of notes in global form, the terms and who the depositary will be;

• the maturity date;

• the annual interest rate, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates;

• the terms of the subordination of any series of subordinated debt;

• the place where payments will be payable;

• the date, if any, after which, and the price at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of notes pursuant to any optional redemption provisions;

• the date, if any, on which, and the price at which we are obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option to purchase, the series of notes;

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• a discussion on any material or special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the notes;

• the denominations in which we will issue the series of notes, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; and

• any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the debt securities.

Conversion or Exchange Rights

We will set forth in the prospectus supplement the terms on which a series of notes may be convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock or other securities of ours. We will include provisions as to whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant to which the number of shares of our common stock or other securities of ours that the holders of the series of notes receive would be subject to adjustment.

Consolidation, Merger or Sale

The indentures contain covenants which restrict our ability to merge or consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets, unless certain criteria set forth in the indentures are met. The indentures also provide that any successor to or acquirer of such assets must assume all of our obligations under the indentures or the notes, as appropriate.

Events of Default Under the Indenture

The following are events of default under the indentures with respect to any series of notes that we may issue:

• if we fail to pay interest when due and our failure continues for 30 days and the time for payment has not been extended or deferred;

• if we fail to pay principal or premium, if any, when due and the time for payment has not been extended or delayed;

• if we fail to deposit any sinking fund payment when due and the time for payment has not been extended or delayed;

• if we breach the restrictive covenants set forth in the indenture in connection with a merger, consolidation or transfer of substantially all of our assets;

• if we fail to observe or perform any other covenant contained in the notes or the indentures, other than a covenant specifically relating to another series of notes, and our failure continues for 60 days after we receive notice from the debenture trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding notes of the applicable series;

• if a debt owed by us or a significant subsidiary is not paid within any applicable grace period after final maturity or is accelerated by the holders thereof because of a default and the total amount of such indebtedness unpaid or accelerated exceeds $10,000,000;

• if a judgment or decree for the payment of money in excess of $10,000,000 is entered against us or any significant subsidiary, remains outstanding for a period of 60 days following the entry of such judgment or decree and it is not discharged, waived or the execution thereof stayed; and

• if specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur as to us.

If an event of default with respect to notes of any series, except for certain defaults related to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, occurs and is continuing, the debenture trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding notes of that series, by notice to us in writing, and to the debenture trustee if notice is given by such holders, may declare the unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, due and payable immediately. If an event of default related to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occurs, the principal amount of all notes of any series shall automatically become immediately due and payable.

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding notes of an affected series may waive any default or event of default with respect to the series and its consequences if:

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• we have paid or deposited with the trustee a sum sufficient to pay i) all overdue interest on the notes of the applicable series, ii) the principal of and premium, if any, on any notes of the applicable series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration or acceleration and any interest thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefore in such notes, iii) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefore in such notes and iv) all sums paid or advanced by the trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the trustee, its agents and counsel; and

• all events of default with respect to notes of the applicable series, other than the non-payment of principal of notes of such series which has become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided for in the indenture.

Subject to the terms of the indentures, if an event of default under an indenture shall occur and be continuing, the debenture trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under such indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the applicable series of notes, unless such holders have offered the debenture trustee reasonable indemnity. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding notes of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the debenture trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the debenture trustee, with respect to the notes of that series, provided that:

• the direction so given by the holder is not in conflict with any law or the applicable indenture; and

• the indenture trustee may take any other action it deems proper which is not inconsistent with such direction.

A holder of the notes of any series will not have the right to institute a proceeding under the indentures or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek other remedies unless:

• the holder has given written notice to the debenture trustee of a continuing event of default with respect to that series;

• the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding notes of that series have made written request, and such holders have offered reasonable indemnity to the debenture trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee; and

• the debenture trustee does not institute the proceeding, and does not receive from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding notes of that series other conflicting directions within 60 days after the notice, request and offer.

These limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of notes if we default in the payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the notes.

We will periodically file statements with the debenture trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in the indentures.

Modification of Indenture; Waiver

We and the debenture trustee may change an indenture without the consent of any holders with respect to specific matters, including:

• to fix any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture; and

• to change anything that does not materially adversely affect the interests of any holder of notes of any series.

In addition, under the indentures, the rights of holders of a series of notes may be changed by us and the debenture trustee with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding notes of each series that is affected. However, we and the debenture trustee may only make certain changes with the consent of each holder of any outstanding notes affected, including:

• extending the fixed maturity of the series of notes;

• reducing the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of payment of interest, or any premium payable upon the redemption of any notes; or

• reducing the percentage of notes, the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment.

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Discharge

Each indenture provides that we can elect to be discharged from our obligations with respect to one or more series of debt securities, except for obligations to:

• register the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the series;

• replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the series;

• maintain paying agencies;

• hold monies for payment in trust; and

•o compensate and indemnify the trustee.

In order to exercise our rights to be discharged, we must, among other things, deposit with the trustee money or government obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, any premium, if any, and interest on, the debt securities of the series on the dates payments are due.

Form, Exchange, and Transfer

We will issue the notes of each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The indentures provide that we may issue notes of a series in temporary or permanent global form and as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company or another depositary named by us and identified in a prospectus supplement with respect to that series. See “Legal Ownership of Securities” for a further description of the terms relating to any book-entry securities.

At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the indentures and the limitations applicable to global securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holder of the notes of any series can exchange the notes for other notes of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.

Subject to the terms of the indentures and the limitations applicable to global securities set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the notes may present the notes for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by us or the security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise provided in the notes that the holder presents for transfer or exchange, we will make no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental charges.

We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition to the security registrar, that we initially designate for any notes. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the notes of each series.

If we elect to redeem the notes of any series, we will not be required to:

• issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any notes of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of any notes that may be selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or

• register the transfer of or exchange any notes so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any notes we are redeeming in part.

Information Concerning the Debenture Trustee

The debenture trustee undertakes to perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the applicable indenture. The debenture trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers given it by the indentures at the request of any holder of notes unless it is offered reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur.

Payment and Paying Agents

Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any notes on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the notes, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest.

We will pay principal of and any premium and interest on the notes of a particular series at the office of the paying agents designated by us, except that unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, will we make interest payments by check which we will mail to the holder. Unless we otherwise indicate in a prospectus supplement, we will designate the corporate trust office of the debenture trustee in the City of New York as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to notes of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents that we initially designate for the notes of a particular series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the notes of a particular series.

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All money we pay to a paying agent or the debenture trustee for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any notes which remains unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.

Governing Law

The indentures and the notes will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.

Subordination of Subordinated Notes

The subordinated notes will be unsecured and will be subordinate and junior in priority of payment to certain of our other indebtedness to the extent described in a prospectus supplement. The subordinated indenture does not limit the amount of subordinated notes which we may issue. It also does not limit us from issuing any other secured or unsecured debt.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus and the related warrant agreements and warrant certificates. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we indicate in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any warrants offered under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement which includes this prospectus.

General

We may issue warrants for the purchase of common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities.

We will evidence each series of warrants by warrant certificates that we will issue under a separate agreement. We will enter into the warrant agreement with a warrant agent. Each warrant agent will be a bank that we select which has its principal office in the United States and a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. We will indicate the name and address of the warrant agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of warrants.

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of warrants, including:

• the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered;

• the currency for which the warrants may be purchased;

• if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security or each principal amount of such security;

• if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable;

• in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the price at, and currency in which, this principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon such exercise;

• in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, purchasable upon the exercise of one warrant and the price at which these shares may be purchased upon such exercise;

• the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreement and the warrants;

• the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;

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• any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants;

• the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire;

• the manner in which the warrant agreement and warrants may be modified;

• federal income tax consequences of holding or exercising the warrants;

• the terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; and

• any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the warrants.

Before exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon such exercise, including:

• in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the right to receive payments of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities purchasable upon exercise or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture; or

• in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the right to receive dividends, if any, or, payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise voting rights, if any.

Exercise of Warrants

Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase the securities that we specify in the applicable prospectus supplement at the exercise price that we describe in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to 5:00 P.M. New York City time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.

Holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants by delivering the warrant certificate representing the warrants to be exercised together with specified information, and paying the required amount to the warrant agent in immediately available funds, as provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. We will set forth on the reverse side of the warrant certificate and in the applicable prospectus supplement the information that the holder of the warrant will be required to deliver to the warrant agent.

Upon receipt of the required payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will issue and deliver the securities purchasable upon such exercise. If fewer than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate are exercised, then we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining amount of warrants. If we so indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may surrender securities as all or part of the exercise price for warrants.

Enforceability of Rights By Holders of Warrants

Each warrant agent will act solely as our agent under the applicable warrant agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any warrant. A single bank or trust company may act as warrant agent for more than one issue of warrants. A warrant agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by us under the applicable warrant agreement or warrant, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holder of a warrant may, without the consent of the related warrant agent or the holder of any other warrant, enforce by appropriate legal action its right to exercise, and receive the securities purchasable upon exercise of, its warrants.

LEGAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

We can issue securities in registered form or in the form of one or more global securities. We describe global securities in greater detail below. We refer to those persons who have securities registered in their own names on the books that we or any applicable trustee maintain for this purpose as the “holders” of those securities. These persons are the legal holders of the securities. We refer to those persons who, indirectly through others, own beneficial interests in securities that are not registered in their own names, as “indirect holders” of those securities. As we discuss below, indirect holders are not legal holders, and investors in securities issued in book-entry form or in street name will be indirect holders.

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Book-Entry Holders

We may issue securities in book-entry form only, as we will specify in the applicable prospectus supplement. This means securities may be represented by one or more global securities registered in the name of a financial institution that holds them as depositary on behalf of other financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system. These participating institutions, which are referred to as participants, in turn, hold beneficial interests in the securities on behalf of themselves or their customers.

Only the person in whose name a security is registered is recognized as the holder of that security. Securities issued in global form will be registered in the name of the depositary or its participants. Consequently, for securities issued in global form, we will recognize only the depositary as the holder of the securities, and we will make all payments on the securities to the depositary. The depositary passes along the payments it receives to its participants, which in turn pass the payments along to their customers who are the beneficial owners. The depositary and its participants do so under agreements they have made with one another or with their customers; they are not obligated to do so under the terms of the securities.

As a result, investors in a book-entry security will not own securities directly. Instead, they will own beneficial interests in a global security, through a bank, broker or other financial institution that participates in the depositary’s book-entry system or holds an interest through a participant. As long as the securities are issued in global form, investors will be indirect holders, and not holders, of the securities.

Street Name Holders

We may terminate a global security or issue securities in non-global form. In these cases, investors may choose to hold their securities in their own names or in “street name.” Securities held by an investor in street name would be registered in the name of a bank, broker or other financial institution that the investor chooses, and the investor would hold only a beneficial interest in those securities through an account he or she maintains at that institution.

For securities held in street name, we will recognize only the intermediary banks, brokers and other financial institutions in whose names the securities are registered as the holders of those securities, and we will make all payments on those securities to them. These institutions pass along the payments they receive to their customers who are the beneficial owners, but only because they agree to do so in their customer agreements or because they are legally required to do so. Investors who hold securities in street name will be indirect holders, not holders, of those securities.

Legal Holders

Our obligations, as well as the obligations of any applicable trustee and of any third parties employed by us or a trustee, run only to the legal holders of the securities. We do not have obligations to investors who hold beneficial interests in global securities, in street name or by any other indirect means. This will be the case whether an investor chooses to be an indirect holder of a security or has no choice because we are issuing the securities only in global form.

For example, once we make a payment or give a notice to the holder, we have no further responsibility for the payment or notice even if that holder is required, under agreements with depositary participants or customers or by law, to pass it along to the indirect holders but does not do so. Similarly, we may want to obtain the approval of the holders to amend an indenture, to relieve us of the consequences of a default or of our obligation to comply with a particular provision of the indenture or for other purposes. In such an event, we would seek approval only from the holders, and not the indirect holders, of the securities. Whether and how the holders contact the indirect holders is up to the holders.

Special Considerations for Indirect Holders

If you hold securities through a bank, broker or other financial institution, either in book-entry form or in street name, you should check with your own institution to find out:

• how it handles securities payments and notices;

• whether it imposes fees or charges;

• how it would handle a request for the holders' consent, if ever required;

• whether and how you can instruct it to send you securities registered in your own name so you can be a holder, if that is permitted in the future;

• how it would exercise rights under the securities if there were a default or other event triggering the need for holders to act to protect their interests; and

• if the securities are in book-entry form, how the depositary's rules and procedures will affect these matters.

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Global Securities

A global security is a security held by a depositary which represents one or any other number of individual securities. Generally, all securities represented by the same global securities will have the same terms.

Each security issued in book-entry form will be represented by a global security that we deposit with and register in the name of a financial institution or its nominee that we select. The financial institution that we select for this purpose is called the depositary. Unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, known as DTC, will be the depositary for all securities issued in book-entry form.

A global security may not be transferred to or registered in the name of anyone other than the depositary, its nominee or a successor depositary, unless special termination situations arise. We describe those situations below under “ — Special Situations When a Global Security Will Be Terminated.” As a result of these arrangements, the depositary, or its nominee, will be the sole registered owner and holder of all securities represented by a global security, and investors will be permitted to own only beneficial interests in a global security. Beneficial interests must be held by means of an account with a broker, bank or other financial institution that in turn has an account with the depositary or with another institution that does. Thus, an investor whose security is represented by a global security will not be a holder of the security, but only an indirect holder of a beneficial interest in the global security.

If the prospectus supplement for a particular security indicates that the security will be issued in global form only, then the security will be represented by a global security at all times unless and until the global security is terminated. If termination occurs, we may issue the securities through another book-entry clearing system or decide that the securities may no longer be held through any book-entry clearing system.

Special Considerations for Global Securities

As an indirect holder, an investor’s rights relating to a global security will be governed by the account rules of the investor’s financial institution and of the depositary, as well as general laws relating to securities transfers. We do not recognize an indirect holder as a holder of securities and instead deal only with the depositary that holds the global security.

If securities are issued only in the form of a global security, an investor should be aware of the following:

• An investor cannot cause the securities to be registered in his or her name, and cannot obtain non-global certificates for his or her interest in the securities, except in the special situations we describe below;

• An investor will be an indirect holder and must look to his or her own bank or broker for payments on the securities and protection of his or her legal rights relating to the securities, as we describe under “Legal Ownership of Securities” above;

• An investor may not be able to sell interests in the securities to some insurance companies and to other institutions that are required by law to own their securities in non-book-entry form;

• An investor may not be able to pledge his or her interest in a global security in circumstances where certificates representing the securities must be delivered to the lender or other beneficiary of the pledge in order for the pledge to be effective;

• The depositary’s policies, which may change from time to time, will govern payments, transfers, exchanges and other matters relating to an investor’s interest in a global security. We and any applicable trustee have no responsibility for any aspect of the depositary’s actions or for its records of ownership interests in a global security. We and the trustee also do not supervise the depositary in any way;

• The depositary may, and we understand that DTC will, require that those who purchase and sell interests in a global security within its book-entry system use immediately available funds, and your broker or bank may require you to do so as well; and

• Financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system, and through which an investor holds its interest in a global security, may also have their own policies affecting payments, notices and other matters relating to the securities. There may be more than one financial intermediary in the chain of ownership for an investor. We do not monitor and are not responsible for the actions of any of those intermediaries.

Special Situations When a Global Security Will be Terminated

In a few special situations described below, the global security will terminate and interests in it will be exchanged for physical certificates representing those interests. After that exchange, the choice of whether to hold securities directly or in street name will be up to the investor. Investors must consult their own banks or brokers to find out how to have their interests in securities transferred to their own name, so that they will be direct holders. We have described the rights of holders and street name investors above.

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The global security will terminate when the following special situations occur:

• if the depositary notifies us that it is unwilling, unable or no longer qualified to continue as depositary for that global security and we do not appoint another institution to act as depositary within 90 days;

• if we notify any applicable trustee that we wish to terminate that global security; or

• if an event of default has occurred with regard to securities represented by that global security and has not been cured or waived.

The prospectus supplement may also list additional situations for terminating a global security that would apply only to the particular series of securities covered by the prospectus supplement. When a global security terminates, the depositary, and not we or any applicable trustee, is responsible for deciding the names of the institutions that will be the initial direct holders.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the securities being offered hereby in one or more of the following ways from time to time:

• through dealers or agents to the public or to investors;

• to underwriters for resale to the public or to investors;

• directly to investors; or

• through a combination of such methods.

We may determine the price or other terms of the securities offered under this prospectus by use of an electronic auction. We will describe how any auction will determine the price or other terms, how potential investors may participate in the auction and the nature of the underwriter’s obligations in the related supplement to this prospectus.

We will set forth in a prospectus supplement the terms of the offering of securities, including:

• the name or names of any agents, dealers or underwriters;

• the purchase price of the securities being offered and the proceeds we will receive from the sale;

• any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us;

• any agency fees or underwriting discounts and other items constituting agents' or underwriters' compensation;

• any initial public offering price;

• any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and

• any securities exchanges on which such securities may be listed.

Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act and any discounts or commissions they receive from us and any profit on their resale of the securities may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. We will identify in the applicable prospectus supplement any underwriters, dealers or agents and will describe their compensation. We may have agreements with the underwriters, dealers and agents to indemnify them against specified civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our subsidiaries in the ordinary course of their businesses.

Certain persons that participate in the distribution of the securities may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities, including over-allotment, stabilizing and short-covering transactions in such securities, and the imposition of penalty bids, in connection with an offering. Certain persons may also engage in passive market making transactions as permitted by Rule 103 of Regulation M. Passive market makers must comply with applicable volume and price limitations and must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid for such security; if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, however, the passive market maker’s bid must then be lowered when certain purchase limits are exceeded.

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LEGAL MATTERS

Foley & Lardner LLP, Detroit, Michigan, will provide us with an opinion as to the legal matters in connection with the securities we are offering.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of NPS as of December 31, 2004 and 2003 and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2004 and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2004 have been incorporated by reference herein from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. We also filed a registration statement on Form S-3, including exhibits, under the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to the securities offered by this prospectus. This prospectus is a part of the registration statement, but does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement or the exhibits. You may read and copy the registration statement and any other document that we file at the SEC’s public reference room at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington D.C. You can call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference room. You can also find our public filings with the SEC on the internet at a web site maintained by the SEC located at http://www.sec.gov.

INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information that we file with them. Incorporation by reference allows us to disclose important information to you by referring you to those other documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We filed a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with the SEC with respect to the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus. This prospectus omits certain information contained in the registration statement, as permitted by the SEC. You should refer to the registration statement, including the exhibits, for further information about us and the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus. Statements in this prospectus regarding the provisions of certain documents filed with, or incorporated by reference in, the registration statement are not necessarily complete and each statement is qualified in all respects by that reference. Copies of all or any part of the registration statement, including the documents incorporated by reference or the exhibits, may be obtained upon payment of the prescribed rates at the offices of the SEC listed above in “Where You Can Find More Information.” The documents we are incorporating by reference are:

(a) Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004;

(b) Our Definitive Proxy Statement filed on April 11, 2005;

(c) Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2005 and June 30, 2005;

(d) Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on February 7, 2005, February 9, 2005, March 1, 2005, March 4, 2005, March 8, 2005, March 30, 2005, May 10, 2005, July 1, 2005, July 11, 2005, July 26, 2005, August 11, 2005, and August 18, 2005;

(e) The description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on May 23, 1994; and

(f) The description of our Rights Agreement and Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A filed on February 21, 2003 and our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 19, 1996.

In addition, all documents subsequently filed by us pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, before the date our offering is terminated or complete are deemed to be incorporated by reference into, and to be a part of, this prospectus.

You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing to or telephoning us at the following address:

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Corporate Secretary
NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
383 Colorow Way
Salt Lake City, Utah 84108
(801) 583-4939

Any statement contained in this prospectus or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or any other subsequently filed document that is deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus modifies or supersedes the statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

You should rely only on information contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We are not making offers to sell the securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14.     Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The following table sets forth our estimates (other than the SEC registration fees) of the expenses in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered, other than underwriting discounts and commissions.

Item	Amount
SEC registration fee	$	23,540
Legal fees and expenses		50,000
Accounting fees and expenses		25,000
Printing Fees		45,000
Miscellaneous fees and expenses		31,460
Total	$	175,000

Item 15.     Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Under Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, we have broad powers to indemnify our directors and officers against liabilities they may incur in such capacities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933. Our Bylaws also provide that we will indemnify our directors and executive officers and may indemnify our other officers, employees and other agents to the fullest extent not prohibited by Delaware law.

Our Amended Certificate of Incorporation provides for the elimination of liability for monetary damages for breach of the directors’ fiduciary duty of care to us and our stockholders. These provisions do not eliminate the directors’ duty of care and, in appropriate circumstances, equitable remedies such as injunctive or other forms of non-monetary relief will remain available under Delaware law. In addition, each director will continue to be subject to liability for breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us, for acts or omissions not in good faith or involving intentional misconduct, for knowing violations of law, for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit and for payment of dividends or approval of stock repurchases or redemptions that are unlawful under Delaware law. The provision does not affect a director’s responsibilities under any other laws, such as the federal securities laws or state or federal environmental laws.

We have entered into agreements with our directors and executive officers that require us to indemnify such persons against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred, including expenses of a derivative action in connection with any proceeding, whether actual or threatened, to which any such person may be made a party by reason of the fact that such person is or was our director or officer or a director or officer of one of our affiliated enterprises, provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to our best interests and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The indemnification agreements also set forth certain procedures that will apply in the event of a claim for indemnification thereunder.

Item 16.     Exhibits

(a) Exhibits.

Exhibit
Number	Description of Document

1.1* Form of equity underwriting agreement.

1.2* Form of debt underwriting agreement.

3.1A Amended Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004).

3.1B Certificate of Amendment of the Amended Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-3, File No. 333-45274, filed on September 6, 2000).

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3.1C Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated December 19, 1996).

3.1D Amendment to Certificate of Designation of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-3, File No. 333-45274, filed on September 6, 2000).

3.1E Certificate of Amendment of the Amended Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003).

3.2A Amended and Restated By-Laws (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004).

3.2B Certificate of Adoption of Amendments to Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference herein to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002).

4.1 Specimen Common Stock Certificate (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-74318, filed on January 21, 1994).

4.2 Form of Indenture relating to senior debt securities.

4.3 Form of Indenture relating to subordinated debt securities.

4.4* Form of senior note.

4.5* Form of any subordinated note.

4.6* Form of certificate of designation or certificate of amendment.

4.7* Form of warrant agreement and the warrant certificates to be issued thereunder.

4.8* Form of deposit agreement and the depositary receipts to be issued thereunder.

5.1 Opinion of Foley & Lardner LLP regarding legality of securities being registered.

12.1 Statement re: Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

23.1 Consent of KPMG LLP.

23.2 Consent of Foley & Lardner LLP (included in opinion of counsel filed as Exhibit 5.1).

24.1 Power of Attorney (included on signature page).

25.1* The Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of the Trustee under the Senior Indenture will be incorporated herein by reference from a subsequent filing in accordance with Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.

25.2* The Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of the Trustee under the Subordinated Indenture will be incorporated herein by reference from a subsequent filing in accordance with Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.

* To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a report pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

Item 17.     Undertakings

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

        (i)        To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

        (ii)To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or any decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

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        (iii)        To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

        Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8 or Form F-3, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes in connection with any electronic auction: (1) to use its best efforts to distribute prior to the opening of bids, to prospective bidders, underwriters, and dealers, a reasonable number of copies of a prospectus which at the time meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and relating to the securities offered at electronic auction, as contained in the registration statement, together with any supplements thereto, and (2) to file an amendment to the registration statement reflecting the results of bidding, the terms of the reoffering and related matters to the extent required by the applicable form, not later than first use, authorized by the issuer after the opening of bids, of a prospectus relating to the securities offered at electronic auction, unless no further public offering of such securities by the issuer and no reoffering of such securities by the purchasers is proposed to be made.

(d) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(e) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under Subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Salt Lake and State of Utah as of the 22nd day of August, 2005.

        NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

By:  /s/ Hunter Jackson

        Hunter Jackson

        Chief Executive Officer, President

          and Chairman of the Board

We, the undersigned directors and/or officers of NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), hereby severally constitute and appoint Hunter Jackson, Chief Executive Officer, and Gerard J. Michel, Chief Financial Officer, and each of them individually, with full powers of substitution and resubstitution, our true and lawful attorneys, with full powers to them and each of them to sign for us, in our names and in the capacities indicated below, this Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC, and any and all amendments to said Registration Statement (including post-effective amendments), and any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933 of the Company’s equity securities, and to file or cause to be filed the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as each of them might or could do in person, and hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys, and each of them, or their substitute or substitutes, shall do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement on Form S-3 has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and as of the dates indicated.

Signature		Title	Date
By:	/s/ Hunter Jackson	Chief Executive Officer, President and	August 22, 2005
	Hunter Jackson	Chairman of the Board (principal executive
		officer)
By:	/s/ Gerard J. Michel	Vice President, Corporate Development and	August 22, 2005
	Gerard J. Michel	Chief Financial Officer (principal
		financial and accounting officer)
By:	/s/ Michael W. Bonney	Director	August 22, 2005
	Michael W. Bonney
By:	/s/ Santo J. Costa	Director	August 22, 2005
	Santo J. Costa
By:	/s/ John R. Evans	Director	August 22, 2005
	John R. Evans
By:	/s/ James G. Groninger	Director	August 22, 2005
	James G. Groninger
By:	/s/ Joseph Klein, III	Director	August 22, 2005
	Joseph Klein, III
By:	/s/ Donald E. Kuhla	Director	August 22, 2005
	Donald E. Kuhla
By:	/s/ Thomas N. Parks	Director	August 22, 2005
	Thomas N. Parks
By:	/s/ Rachel R. Selisker	Director	August 22, 2005
	Rachel R. Selisker

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By:	/s/ Calvin R. Stiller	Director	August 22, 2005
	Calvin R. Stiller
By:	/s/ Peter G. Tombros	Director	August 22, 2005
	Peter G. Tombros

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NPS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number	Description of Document

1.1* Form of equity underwriting agreement.

1.2* Form of debt underwriting agreement.

3.1A Amended Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004).

3.1B Certificate of Amendment of the Amended Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-3, File No. 333-45274, filed on September 6, 2000).

3.1C Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated December 19, 1996).

3.1D Amendment to Certificate of Designation of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-3, File No. 333-45274, filed on September 6, 2000).

3.1E Certificate of Amendment of the Amended Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003).

3.2A Amended and Restated By-Laws (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004).

3.2B Certificate of Adoption of Amendments to Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference herein to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002).

4.1 Specimen Common Stock Certificate (incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-74318, filed on January 21, 1994).

4.2 Form of Indenture relating to senior debt securities.

4.3 Form of Indenture relating to subordinated debt securities.

4.4* Form of senior note.

4.5* Form of any subordinated note.

4.6* Form of certificate of designation or certificate of amendment.

4.7* Form of warrant agreement and the warrant certificates to be issued thereunder.

4.8* Form of deposit agreement and the depositary receipts to be issued thereunder.

5.1 Opinion of Foley & Lardner LLP regarding legality of securities being registered.

12.1 Statement re: Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

23.1 Consent of KPMG LLP.

23.2 Consent of Foley & Lardner LLP (included in opinion of counsel filed as Exhibit 5.1).

24.1 Power of Attorney (included on signature page).

25.1* The Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of the Trustee under the Senior Indenture will be incorporated herein by reference from a subsequent filing in accordance with Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.

25.2* The Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of the Trustee under the Subordinated Indenture will be incorporated herein by reference from a subsequent filing in accordance with Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.

* To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a report pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.