SAN DIEGO, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today initial positive data from a Phase 1 clinical study of AM461, the Company's second oral selective antagonist of the DP2 (also known as CRTH2) receptor.
"The AM461 clinical data further strengthens our commitment to the DP2 receptor as a clinical target. Amira now has two structurally distinct, clinical-stage compounds targeting the receptor," said Isabelle DeArmond, Vice President, Clinical Development.
While there are no DP2 selective antagonists approved for therapeutic use, there is a strong scientific rationale for this target to be a novel treatment of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and allergic rhinitis. A DP2 antagonist has the potential to be disease modifying in these aforementioned conditions. DP2 is also known as CRTH2, or chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed in Th2 lymphocytes. DP2 is a high affinity receptor for the prostaglandin D2 and in humans is implicated in Th2-dependent allergic inflammation.
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 www.amirapharm.com.
CONTACT: Ian Stone of Russo Partners, +1-619-528-2220,
ian.stone@russopartnersllc.com, for Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Web site: http://www.amirapharm.com/
