Alethia BioTherapeutics, Inc. Strengthens its Board of Directors

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - December 15, 2009) - Alethia Biotherapeutics Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, announced today that Dr. Michael Berendt has joined its Board of Directors as an independent director. Mr. Luc Mainville, Chairman of Alethia commented: “Dr. Berendt is an experienced biotech executive who brings to Alethia significant experience in drug discovery, new product development and overall operational management. This nomination is occurring at a very exciting time in the life of the Company as Alethia is gradually evolving from a pure target discovery company to a clinical mAb product development organization.”

About Dr. Michael Berendt

Dr. Berendt is President and CEO of Aegera Therapeutics. Prior to joining Aegera, Dr. Berendt served as managing director of Research Corporation Technologies, a US-based technology investment and management company, and AEA Investors Inc, where he was responsible for growth equity investments in life sciences companies. Dr. Berendt was also Senior Vice President of Research for the Pharmaceutical Division of Bayer Corporation in West Haven, Connecticut, leading a team of more than 400 scientists engaged in the discovery and development of new medicines in the fields of cancer, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis. Dr. Berendt is currently a director of Waters Corporation and Trillium Therapeutics Inc. and has previously served on the board of directors of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Myriad Genetics and Catalyst Biosciences Inc. Dr. Berendt holds a Ph.D. in medical microbiology and immunology from Hahnemann University and was awarded research fellowships from the National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Michael Berendt said, “I am very pleased to join the board of Alethia Biotherapeutics. Alethia is a very exciting company which I believe will play a leading role in the discovery of new therapeutic targets and development of antibody therapeutics of the future.”

About Alethia Biotherapeutics Inc.

Alethia is a privately held, Montreal-based biotechnology company created in 2002. Alethia develops innovative therapeutic approaches in areas of unmet medical needs. The Company is currently focusing its development efforts on cancer-associated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, ovarian cancer, and cancer-induced bone loss, three areas for which there are very few therapeutic alternatives. Alethia capitalizes on its ability to identify and validate disease-specific targets for the development of highly focused antibody-based therapeutics.