SAN DIEGO, July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- "Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that its FLAP (5-lipoxygenase-activating protein) program, which is partnered with GlaxoSmithKline, has achieved two clinical development milestones."

These milestones are related to the successful progression of the program to Phase 2 studies, which explore the use of the Amira discovered FLAP inhibitor in patients suffering from asthma.  

"These milestones demonstrate the success of our partnership with GSK as well as the need for new therapies for asthma sufferers." said Hari Kumar, Chief Business Officer.  "These milestone payments enable Amira to continue to fund our highly productive research and development opportunities well into the future."

About FLAP Inhibitors

FLAP (5-lipoxygenase-activating protein) is a key component early in the leukotriene pathway, a complex signalling 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, Amira's FLAP inhibitors licensed to GSK, bind to FLAP thereby 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.

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