Biotech Industry Veteran K. Peter Hirth Joins Alios BioPharma Board of Directors

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - August 13, 2009) - Alios BioPharma, Inc. has appointed Plexxikon Founder and Chief Executive Officer K. Peter Hirth, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors.

"With the recent close of its $32 million Series A financing, Alios BioPharma is poised to leverage the company's complementary group of platform technologies to generate multiple distinct therapeutic products," said K. Peter Hirth, Ph.D. "Dr. Blatt and his team are currently developing the Alios portfolio of novel therapeutic agents to treat serious viral infections such as chronic hepatitis B and C, and respiratory viruses."

"Peter Hirth has a unique combination of biotechnology entrepreneurial leadership and business development as well as pharmaceutical discovery and development experience," commented Lawrence M. Blatt, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Alios BioPharma, Inc. "We are fortunate to have Dr. Hirth contribute his significant small molecule drug development expertise and his impressive biotech/pharma partnering experience to Alios."

Dr. Hirth co-founded Plexxikon, a leader in the discovery and development of novel, small-molecule pharmaceuticals, and has served as its CEO since its inception in 2000. He has more than 25 years of biotechnology and pharmaceutical discovery and development experience. Previously, as president of Sugen, Inc. (until the sale of the company to Pharmacia Corporation in 1999), he helped build the company from its inception and advanced several kinase inhibitors through clinical trials for the treatment of oncology. This includes the drug Sutent®, now owned by Pfizer through its acquisition of Pharmacia.

Previously, Dr. Hirth was a vice president in research with Boehringer Mannheim where, among other responsibilities, he successfully led the company's erythropoietin program. Earlier in his academic career Dr. Hirth was a research scientist with the Max Planck Institute, following the completion of his post doctoral work at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Hirth received his Ph.D. in molecular genetics from Heidelberg University, Germany.

About Alios BioPharma

Alios BioPharma, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company headquartered in South San Francisco, California, is developing novel medicines to treat viral diseases by activating pathways in the innate immune system. Alios is pursuing the development of small-molecule and protein therapeutics, each addressing major commercial market opportunities.