Amira Pharmaceuticals Announces Initiation of Phase I Clinical Trial for AM152, A Novel LPA1 Antagonist

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical study with AM152, a novel LPA1 antagonist, in normal, healthy subjects.

"We are excited to begin our journey exploring the therapeutic value of AM152, a potentially novel anti-fibrotic agent.  Our first step is to understand the safety, pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of this compound in normal healthy subjects," said Isabelle DeArmond, Vice President, Clinical Development.  "We expect to have these studies completed by the middle of next year, and assuming positive results, we could then begin to study the therapeutic utility of AM152 in patients."

"The Amira team is very proud and excited by this important milestone," said Bob Baltera, Chief Executive Officer. "Currently, there are no FDA-approved therapies for fibrotic disease, and we look forward to better understanding the potential therapeutic benefit of an LPA1 antagonist in this area of medicine."

While there are no LPA1 selective antagonists approved for therapeutic use, there is a strong scientific rationale for this as a target for novel treatment in various fibrotic diseases including scleroderma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

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.