Omeros Names Dr. Kenneth Ferguson as Vice President, Development

SEATTLE, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Omeros Corporation (Nasdaq: OMER), a biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing products focused on inflammation and disorders of the central nervous system, today announced the appointment of Kenneth M. Ferguson, Ph.D. to the position of vice president, development.

"Ken brings a depth and breadth of experience to Omeros, from development to partnering and through to commercialization," said Gregory A. Demopulos, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Omeros.  "With his knowledge and background, I expect that Ken will begin contributing immediately to our diverse preclinical and clinical pipeline.  He is a strong addition to our team."  

"I am impressed by the Company's management, programs and strategic vision," stated Ken Ferguson, Ph.D., Omeros' vice president, development.  "These are exciting times for Omeros. Its late-stage clinical programs and deep pipeline provide multiple product opportunities, and I look forward to helping Omeros achieve commercial success."

Dr. Ferguson brings more than 20 years of experience managing research and development organizations. Prior to the acquisition of ICOS Corporation (ICOS) in 2007 by Eli Lilly and Company (Eli Lilly), he served as vice president of therapeutic development at ICOS.  Dr. Ferguson also served as chief operating officer, chief scientific officer and a member of the board of managers of Lilly ICOS LLC, the joint venture of Eli Lilly and ICOS that developed and marketed Cialis®.  Following the 2007 acquisition, he served as president of ICOS, managing its integration into Eli Lilly.  Before joining ICOS, Dr. Ferguson worked for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. He holds a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Texas Health Science Center and a B.S. in biological sciences from Cornell University.

About Omeros Corporation

Omeros is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing products focused on inflammation and disorders of the central nervous system. The Company's most clinically advanced product candidates are derived from its proprietary PharmacoSurgery™ platform designed to improve clinical outcomes of patients undergoing a wide range of surgical and medical procedures. Omeros has five ongoing clinical development programs, including four from its PharmacoSurgery™ platform, the most advanced of which is in a Phase 3 clinical program, and one from its Addiction program. Omeros may also have the near-term capability, through its GPCR program, to add wholly new drug targets to the market. Behind its clinical candidates and GPCR platform, Omeros is building a diverse pipeline of antibody and small-molecule preclinical programs targeting inflammation and central nervous system disorders.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to the "safe harbor" created by those sections. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information available to management only as of the date of this press release and include Dr. Ferguson's expected contributions to Omeros and the opportunities presented by Omeros' clinical programs and pipeline. Omeros' actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements for many reasons, including, without limitation, the risks, uncertainties and other factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 4, 2010. Given these risks, uncertainties and other factors, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, even if new information becomes available in the future.

SOURCE Omeros Corporation