Amira Pharmaceuticals Announces Initiation of Phase I Clinical Trial for AM152, A Novel LPA1 Antagonist

Potential Therapy for Lung Fibrosis of Scleroderma and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

SAN DIEGO, October 28, 2010 - Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a Phase
1 clinical study with AM152, a novel LPA1 antagonist, in normal, healthy
subjects.

"We are excited to begin our journey exploring the therapeutic value of
AM152, a potentially novel anti-fibrotic agent. Our first step is to
understand the safety, pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) profile
of this compound in normal healthy subjects," said Isabelle DeArmond, Vice
President, Clinical Development. "We expect to have these studies completed
by the middle of next year, and assuming positive results, we could then
begin to study the therapeutic utility of AM152 in patients."

"The Amira team is very proud and excited by this important milestone,"
said Bob Baltera, Chief Executive Officer. "Currently, there are no
FDA-approved therapies for fibrotic disease, and we look forward to better
understanding the potential therapeutic benefit of an LPA1 antagonist in this
area of medicine."

While there are no LPA1 selective antagonists approved for therapeutic
use, there is a strong scientific rationale for this as a target for 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.