Amira Pharmaceuticals Achieves Development Milestone Related to FLAP Inhibitor Program

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has achieved another development milestone in its FLAP program, which is partnered with GlaxoSmithKline. This milestone is related to the successful development of a solid dose formulation, which is critical for future development and commercialization activities.

"Achieving this milestone further demonstrates the success of our partnership with GSK and provides a meaningful economic benefit to Amira," said Hari Kumar, Chief Business Officer. "We are very pleased with our partnership and look forward to the continued success of this program at GSK."

About FLAP Inhibitors

FLAP (5-lipoxygenase activating protein) is a key component early in the leukotriene pathway, a complex signaling process that exerts control over biological processes, such as inflammation and immunity. Excessive production of leukotrienes exacerbates inflammatory diseases, such as asthma; the FLAP gene has also been linked to a significant increase in the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. AM103 and AM803 bind to FLAP, inhibiting the synthesis of leukotrienes that cause inflammation.

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.