Ardea Biosciences to Present at Two Upcoming Investor Conferences

SAN DIEGO, March 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ardea Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: RDEA) announced today that the Company will present at the following investor conferences during the month of March 2010:

• Cowen and Company 30th Annual Health Care Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. Barry D. Quart, Pharm.D., president and chief executive officer, will present at 1 p.m. EST on Monday, March 8, 2010.  This presentation will be webcast and can be accessed on the Investor Center section of Ardea's website at www.ardeabio.com.
• Roth 22nd Annual Orange County Growth Stock Conference in Dana Point, California. John W. Beck, senior vice president, finance and operations and chief financial officer, will present at 11 a.m. PDT on Monday, March 15, 2010.

About Ardea Biosciences, Inc.

Ardea Biosciences, Inc., of San Diego, California, is a biotechnology company focused on the development of small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of gout, cancer and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).  RDEA594, our lead product candidate in development for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout, is a selective URAT1 transporter inhibitor in Phase 2 clinical development.  Our next-generation URAT1 inhibitor, RDEA684, is currently in preclinical development.  RDEA119, a potent and specific inhibitor of mitogen-activated ERK kinase (MEK), is being developed under a global license agreement with Bayer HealthCare AG.  RDEA119 is currently being evaluated in advanced cancer patients with different tumor types as a single agent in a Phase 1 study, as well as in combination with sorafenib (Nexavar®, Bayer HealthCare, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) in a Phase 1/2 study.  RDEA806, for the treatment of HIV, is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) that has successfully completed a Phase 2a study in HIV patients.  RDEA427, a next generation NNRTI, has superior pharmacokinetic properties, and even greater activity against a wide range of drug-resistant viral isolates than RDEA806.  We have evaluated RDEA427 in a human micro-dose pharmacokinetic study.

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.  Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our plans and goals, the expected properties and benefits of RDEA594, RDEA684, RDEA119, RDEA806, RDEA427 and our other compounds and the timing and results of our preclinical, clinical and other studies.  Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include risks related to the outcome of preclinical and clinical studies, risks related to regulatory approvals, delays in commencement of preclinical and clinical studies, costs associated with our drug discovery and development programs and risks related to the outcome of our business development activities, including collaboration or licensing agreements.  These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in our most recently filed SEC documents, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, under the headings "Risk Factors." All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made.  We undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

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SOURCE Ardea Biosciences, Inc.