Amira Announces AM103 and AM803 Patent Grant in the United Kingdom

SAN DIEGO, July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.K. Intellectual Property Office has granted patent number GB2431927, titled, "5-Lipoxygenase Activating Protein (FLAP) Inhibitors," which includes coverage of Amira's AM103 and AM803 FLAP inhibitors for the treatment of respiratory disorders.

In January 2008, Amira and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) entered into a worldwide exclusive agreement allowing GSK to develop, manufacture and commercialize specified FLAP inhibitors for the treatment of respiratory and cardiovascular disease.  AM803 was added to the license agreement later in 2008.  GSK is currently conducting Phase 2 clinical trials in respiratory disorders with an Amira-licensed FLAP inhibitor.

"Amira continues to be successful in obtaining patent coverage for compounds being advanced in clinical trials," said John Hutchinson, Ph.D., Vice President of Chemistry.  "This patent covering both AM103 and AM803 is the third issued this year, following two patents related to our DP2 receptor antagonists granted by the United Kingdom."  Bob Baltera, Chief Executive Officer of Amira, added, "This patent relates to some of the first compounds developed by Amira.  It reflects our ongoing objective to secure strong patent protection around each of our development programs."

The newly granted claims cover novel inhibitors of the FLAP protein.  The patent also discloses uses of FLAP inhibitors for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, dermatological disorders and ocular diseases.

About Amira

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in San Diego, Amira Pharmaceuticals is a small molecule pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and early development of new drugs to treat inflammatory disease.  Our discovery team is building on unparalleled insights into bioactive lipid pathways and complex signaling processes controlling many conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular and fibrotic diseases.  Amira has a partnership with GlaxoSmithKline for the development of FLAP (5-lipoxygenase activating protein) inhibitors in respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

Amira combines the rigor of a big pharmaceutical company with the ingenuity and energy of a small company, creating an environment for efficient development of novel compounds and effective pre-clinical and clinical program decisions.  Its scientific founders have successfully worked together for more than a decade and were pivotal in the discovery of a number of inflammatory drugs, including Singulair®.  The drug hunters at Amira are now actively leveraging their history of success to create high-value compounds for the future.  For more information, visit www.amirapharm.com.

SOURCE Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.