Omeros Names Dr. Patrick Gray as Scientific Fellow

SEATTLE, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Omeros Corporation (NASDAQ: OMER), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing products targeting inflammation, coagulopathies and disorders of the central nervous system, today announced the appointment of Patrick W. Gray, Ph.D. to the position of scientific fellow.

"Pat has an impressive track record of identifying commercially successful programs and products early in their development cycle," said Gregory A. Demopulos, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Omeros.  "In his role as scientific fellow, Pat will be able to leverage his unique and deep expertise across our research and development matrix.  We are pleased that he has joined our senior management team, and we look forward to him contributing to our success."

"The scientific depth and commercial potential of Omeros' programs are remarkable," stated Patrick W. Gray, Ph.D., Omeros' scientific fellow.  "Omeros has a strong and experienced management team, and I look forward to helping the Company continue to transform its pipeline of programs into marketed products."

Dr. Gray brings to Omeros more than 30 years of experience in the biotechnology industry. He joined Omeros after serving from 2007 until 2012 as the chief scientific officer of Accelerator Corporation, a biotechnology-company investor and incubator affiliated with Amgen Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, OVP Ventures Partners and the Institute for Systems Biology. Prior to Accelerator, Dr. Gray was the chief executive officer of nura, inc., a privately held biotechnology company acquired by Omeros in 2006. Before nura, he held senior scientific and management positions at Genentech, Inc., ICOS Corporation and MacroGenics, Inc.

Dr. Gray's career accomplishments include the first cloning and characterization of the following important proteins: Hepatitis B surface antigen, Interferon-gamma, multiple Interferon-alpha genes,  Lymphotoxin (TNF-beta) Bactericidal Permeability Increasing Protein, Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-Binding Protein, Platelet Activating Factor Acetylhydrolase, CCR5 (subsequently shown to be the HIV co-receptor) and Macrophage Derived Chemokine.  Five of these proteins are approved human pharmaceuticals or led to clinical trials, and others are targets for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Dr. Gray also participated in the discovery and development of Cialis®. Dr. Gray received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Colorado and his B.S. in biology from the University of Oregon.

About Omeros Corporation

Omeros is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing products targeting inflammation, coagulopathies 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 four ongoing clinical development programs. Omeros may also have the near-term capability, through its GPCR program, to add a large number of new drug targets and their corresponding compounds to the market. Behind its clinical candidates and GPCR platform, Omeros is building a diverse pipeline of protein and small-molecule preclinical programs targeting inflammation, coagulopathies 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 may be identified by forward-looking terms such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "project," "predict" and "potential." These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the transformation of Omeros' programs into marketed products; and that Omeros may have the near-term capability, through its GPCR program, to add a large number of new drug targets and their corresponding compounds to the market. 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. 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2012. 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