**Exhibit 31.1**

 

**CERTIFICATION BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO 18U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEYACT OF 2002**

 

I, Larry G. Stambaugh,certify that:

 

1.             I have reviewed this annual report onForm 10-K of MAXIM PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.;

 

2.             Based on my knowledge, this annual reportdoes not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state amaterial fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of thecircumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading withrespect to the period covered by this annual report;

 

3.             Based on my knowledge, the financialstatements, and other financial information included in this annual report,fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results ofoperations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periodspresented in this annual report;

 

4.             The registrant’s other certifying officer andI are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for theregistrant and we have:

 

a.             Designed such disclosure controls andprocedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designedunder our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to theregistrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us byothers within those entities, particularly during the period in which thisannual report is being prepared;

 

b.             Evaluated the effectiveness of theregistrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this annualreport our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls andprocedures, as of the end of the period covered by this annual report based onsuch evaluation; and

 

c.             Disclosed in this annual report any change inthe registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred duringthe registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscalquarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or isreasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control overfinancial reporting; and

 

----

 

5.             The registrant’s other certifying officer andI have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control overfinancial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee ofthe registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalentfunctions):

 

a.             All significant deficiencies and materialweaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financialreporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’sability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

b.             Any fraud, whether or not material, thatinvolves management or other employees who have a significant role in theregistrant’s internal controls over financial reporting.

 

 
|                     | /s/  LARRY G. STAMBAUGH                            |
|--------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|
|                     | Larry  G. Stambaugh                                |
|                     | Chairman  of the Board and Chief Executive Officer |
| Date:  December 19, 2003 | (Principal  Executive Officer)                     |

 

----