SAN DIEGO, May 26, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.K. Intellectual Property Office has granted patent number GB2461629, titled, HETEROALKYL ANTAGONISTS OF PROSTAGLANDIN D2 RECEPTORS, which includes coverage of Amira's AM461 DP2 receptor antagonist.

This is the second patent granted of a large estate filed by Amira Pharmaceuticals that describe novel small molecule inhibitors of the DP2 (CRTH2) receptor. Amira has successfully completed Phase 1 studies on two DP2 receptor antagonists, AM211 and AM461, and anticipates these compounds will be developed for the treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other allergic conditions.

This UK patent for AM461 is another significant milestone for the Amira DP2 program and clearly shows that Amira can effectively develop patent-protected, novel drug candidates, said John Hutchinson, Ph.D., Vice President of Chemistry.

Bob Baltera, Chief Executive Officer of Amira, added, This patent demonstrates Amira's continued focus on developing robust programs with strong patent protection, rather than single drug candidates. We plan to use the same strategy in our continued development of our research programs, including our LPA program.

The newly granted claims cover novel phenoxyphenyl acetic acid compounds, their formulation and uses in Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2)-dependent conditions. The patent also describes the method of synthesis of this class of DP2 antagonists and their routes of administration for the treatment of DP2 receptor-mediated diseases and conditions.

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(R). 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 http://www.amirapharm.com.

SOURCE: Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CONTACT: Ian Stone of Russo Partners, +1-619-528-2220,ian.stone@russopartnersllc.com, for Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.