EXHIBIT 99.1


Investors:                                                Media:
Ann Tanabe                                                Daniel Budwick
Encysive Pharmaceuticals                                  BMC Communications
(713) 796-8822                                            (212) 477-9007 ext. 14

Hershel Berry
The Trout Group
(415) 392-3385

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


          THELIN(TM) SHOWS PROMISE IN PATIENTS FAILING BOSENTAN THERAPY

               CONFERENCE CALL SCHEDULED FOR TODAY AT 8:15 A.M. ET


HOUSTON -OCTOBER 5, 2004 - Encysive Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ENCY) today
announced top-line results from STRIDE-6, a clinical study of Thelin(TM)
(sitaxsentan) in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who
discontinued treatment with bosentan due to lack of efficacy or for safety
reasons. The data suggests Thelin may provide important benefits to this
challenging patient group.

STUDY OVERVIEW
STRIDE-6 enrolled 48 patients, 35 of which had discontinued bosentan therapy for
lack of efficacy and 13 for reasons related to safety. The mean duration of
prior bosentan treatment was 13.4 months (0.1 months - 39 months). Of the 48
patients, 24 were randomized to blinded treatment with 50 mg Thelin once daily
and 24 to 100 mg Thelin once a day. Five subjects discontinued the trial early
due to disease progression. Of the 48 patients, 45 continued Thelin therapy in a
long-term extension trial (STRIDE-3).

Patients were categorized as improved if their distance walked in six minutes
increased by 15% or more after 12 weeks of therapy and as deteriorated if their
distance walked declined by 15% or more. Patients with lesser increases or
declines were considered unchanged.

STUDY RESULTS
Of the 35 patients discontinuing bosentan therapy for lack of efficacy, 33% in
the Thelin 100 mg group and 10% in the Thelin 50 mg group improved. Continued
deterioration was noted in 20% of the 100 mg group and 15% of the 50 mg group.
The remaining patients were considered unchanged.

Of the 13 patients who discontinued bosentan treatment due to safety, 12 were
for liver function abnormalities and one for rash. One patient who had developed
liver function abnormalities after 1 month of bosentan treatment increased to >3
times the upper limit of

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1


normal after 12 weeks of treatment with 100 mg of Thelin. This patient has been
discontinued from therapy. The other 12 patients remain active in STRIDE-3.

Adverse events (AE) occurred with similar frequency with both Thelin doses. The
most frequent AEs, occurring in 4 or more patients included nausea, fatigue,
edema, headache, and upper respiratory tract infection. One patient in the 50 mg
group admitted to the study for clinical deterioration died. This patient had
received Thelin for 17 days then bosentan for a further 12 days prior to dying
from progressive pulmonary hypertension.

"Patients failing bosentan, either for efficacy or safety, represent a common
and important challenge for treating physicians," reported Dr. Robyn Barst,
Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University College of Physicians and
Surgeons, and Director, New York Presbyterian Hospital Pulmonary Hypertension
Center. "It appears that the 100 mg dose of sitaxsentan may be able to improve
up to 1/3 of efficacy failures with bosentan. It further appears that patients
developing liver function abnormalities on bosentan may be treatable with
sitaxsentan without significantly increased risk of having these abnormalities
recur. If substantiated in broader clinical practice, this would be an important
finding."

"STRIDE-6 was designed to give clinicians important information about potential
alternatives for those patients who fail on bosentan," commented Bruce D. Given,
M.D., President and CEO of Encysive Pharmaceuticals. "This information, when
added to the forthcoming results of our Phase III pivotal trial and other
ongoing trials, should provide for a comprehensive review of the utility of
Thelin in the broadest patient population studied to date in a pre-approval
setting."

CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION
You may access the conference call scheduled for Tuesday, October 5, 2004, at
8:15 a.m. (ET) either through the call-in number or an audio webcast. The access
number for the call is (612) 288-0318.

Or, you may participate live online via Encysive's web site at www.encysive.com.

The webcast replay will be available, in addition to a call replay, beginning
October 5, 2004, at 12:00 p.m. ET through October 12, 2004. The telephone replay
can be accessed by calling (320) 365-3844 and entering passcode 750019.

ABOUT THELIN(TM) AND PAH
Thelin(TM) is a small molecule that blocks the action of endothelin, a potent
mediator of blood vessel constriction and growth of smooth muscle in vascular
walls. Endothelin receptor antagonists may prove to be effective in the
treatment of a variety of diseases where the regulation of vascular constriction
is important. Thelin is 6,500 fold selective in the targeting of the endothelin
A receptor.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a condition that involves high blood
pressure and structural changes in the walls of the pulmonary arteries, which
are the blood vessels

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1


that connect the right side of the heart to the lungs. PAH causes shortness of
breath, limits activity, and is eventually fatal unless treated successfully
with heart and lung transplant. Primary and secondary PAH are estimated to
afflict approximately 80,000 to 100,000 people worldwide, many of whom are
children and young women.

Side effects of Thelin seen in the program to date, and which occurred more
frequently than in placebo, include liver dysfunction (increased ALT and AST),
headache, edema, constipation, nasal congestion and flushing. Because Thelin
inhibits the metabolism of warfarin, the dose of warfarin should be adjusted
downward when co-administered with Thelin.

ABOUT ENCYSIVE PHARMACEUTICALS
Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the
discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs, is recognized for
our expertise in small molecule drug development and vascular biology.
Argatroban, our first FDA-approved product, is being marketed by GlaxoSmithKline
for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Encysive Pharmaceuticals is in Phase III
development of the endothelin antagonist, Thelin, for pulmonary arterial
hypertension. Our majority-owned affiliate, Revotar Biopharmaceuticals AG, is in
Phase II development with the selectin antagonist bimosiamose in asthma,
psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Encysive Pharmaceuticals has several other
research and development programs ongoing for a range of cardiovascular and
inflammatory diseases. To learn more about Encysive Pharmaceuticals please visit
our web site: www.encysive.com.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements
are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those projected. Among those risks, trends and
uncertainties are timing and cost of our clinical trials, attainment of research
and clinical goals and milestones of product candidates, attainment of required
government approvals, sales levels of our products and availability of financing
and revenues sufficient to fund development of product candidates and
operations. In particular, careful consideration should be given to cautionary
statements made in the various reports Encysive Pharmaceuticals, including as
Texas Biotechnology Corporation, has filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. The Company undertakes no duty to update or revise these
forward-looking statements.

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