Press Release

Cambridge, MA, April 27, 2005 --Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) will webcast its presentations at Deutsche Bank's 30th Annual Health Care Conference on May 2, 2005 and at Morgan Stanley's Third Annual Global Healthcare Unplugged Conference on May 4, 2005. Ian Smith, Vertex's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer will present at both conferences.

Vertex's presentation at the Deutsche Bank conference will be webcast on Monday, May 2, 2005 at 4:30 p.m. EDT. Vertex's presentation and discussion at the Morgan Stanley conference will be audio webcast only on Wednesday, May 4 at 10:30 a.m. EDT.

The presentations will be webcast live and may be accessed by visiting the Vertex website at www.vrtx.com. A replay of the webcasts will also be available on the Company's website for two weeks following the presentations. To access the webcasts, go to Vertex's website and select the 'Deutsche Bank 30th Annual Health Care Conference' or the 'Morgan Stanley Third Annual Global Healthcare Conference' from the 'Events Calendar.' To ensure a timely connection, it is recommended that users register at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled webcast.

About Vertex

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated is a global biotechnology company committed to the discovery and development of breakthrough small molecule drugs for serious diseases. The Company's strategy is to commercialize its products both independently and in collaboration with major pharmaceutical companies. Vertex's product pipeline is principally focused on viral diseases, inflammation, autoimmune diseases and cancer. In collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline, Vertex co-promotes the HIV protease inhibitor, Lexiva®.

Lexiva® is a registered trademark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.

Vertex Contact:
Lora Pike, Manager, Investor Relations, (617) 444-6755