CARDIOME ANNOUNCES FILING OF SHELF REGISTRATION STATEMENT TO REPLACE RECENTLY
EXPIRED SHELF

NASDAQ: CRME   TSX: COM

VANCOUVER, Dec. 16 /CNW/ - Cardiome Pharma Corp. (NASDAQ: CRME /TSX: COM) ("Cardiome") today announced that it has filed a preliminary short form base shelf prospectus with securities regulatory authorities in Canada and a corresponding shelf registration statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on Form F-10.

The filing is intended to restore the original capacity which was available to Cardiome under its previous base shelf prospectus, which expired on December 5, 2010.  The base shelf prospectus will allow Cardiome to offer up to US$250,000,000 of common shares, preferred shares, debt securities and warrants from time to time over a 25-month period after Canadian securities regulatory authorities have issued a receipt for the final short form base shelf prospectus.  Cardiome has no intention of raising additional capital at this time.

The shelf registration statement filed today with the SEC has not yet become effective. No securities may be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualifications under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

A copy of the shelf registration statement, including the related prospectus, may be obtained from Curtis Sikorsky, Chief Financial Officer, at Cardiome's address at 6190 Agronomy Road, 6th Floor, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z3.

About Cardiome Pharma Corp.
Cardiome Pharma Corp. is a product-focused drug development company dedicated to the advancement and commercialization of novel treatments for disorders of the heart and circulatory system.  Cardiome is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (CRME) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (COM).

Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer
Certain statements in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation that may not be based on historical fact, including without limitation statements containing the words "believe", "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect" and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, events or developments, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Risks, uncertainties and factors that could cause such actual events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from any future events or results expressed or implied by such statements and information include, but are not limited to, the risks, uncertainties and factors related to the fact that: we, together with our collaborative partners, may not be able to successfully develop all or any of our current or future products and may not be able to obtain regulatory approval in targeted indications for our current or future products in all markets; we may not achieve or maintain profitability; our future operating results are uncertain and likely to fluctuate; we may not be able to raise additional capital as and when required; we depend on our collaborative partners to perform their obligations under licensing or other collaborative agreements; we may not be successful in establishing additional corporate collaborations or licensing arrangements; we may not be able to establish marketing and sales capabilities and the costs of launching our products may be greater than anticipated; any of our products that obtain regulatory approval will be subject to extensive post-market regulation that may affect sales, marketing and profitability; any of our products that are successfully developed may not achieve market acceptance; we rely on third parties for the continued supply and manufacture of our products and have no experience in commercial manufacturing; we may face unknown risks related to intellectual property matters, including with respect to our ability to protect our intellectual property; we face increased competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; and other factors as described in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission available at www.sec.gov and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. Given these risks, uncertainties and factors, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All forward-looking statements and information made herein are based on our current expectations and we undertake no obligation to revise or update such forward-looking statements and information to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.

For further information:

Cardiome Investor Relations
[phone] or Toll Free: 1-800-330-9928
Email: [email protected]