Amira Pharmaceuticals Announces IND Submission for Novel LPA1 Antagonist, AM152, for Potential Use in Fibrotic Diseases

SAN DIEGO, September 27, 2010 - Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has submitted an
Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for AM152, a novel LPA1 antagonist. If accepted, the IND
will enable Amira to begin Phase 1 safety studies with the compound in
healthy subjects.

"We believe the pre-clinical data obtained to date for AM152 demonstrate
characteristics which warrant further studies in humans to determine its
potential utility in various fibrotic diseases," said Isabelle DeArmond, Vice
President, Clinical Development. "The safety and pharmacokinetic data
obtained from Phase 1 studies are an important first step in the clinical
investigation of this program."

Added Bob Baltera, Chief Executive Officer, "We are extremely excited to
reach this point with our LPA1 program. There have recently been numerous
papers published describing the novel biology of the LPA1 receptor and how it
relates to abnormal fibrotic processes. We have worked hard to develop this
program and look forward to learning more about this potential therapeutic
candidate in a clinical setting."

While there are no LPA1 selective antagonists approved for therapeutic
use, there is a strong scientific rationale for this target to be a novel
treatment in various fibrotic diseases, including scleroderma and idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis.

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
www.amirapharm.com.

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