Amira Pharmaceuticals Hits Two Development Milestones Related to FLAP Inhibitor Program

SAN DIEGO, July 19, 2010 - "Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that its FLAP
(5-lipoxygenase-activating protein) program, which is partnered with
GlaxoSmithKline, has achieved two clinical development milestones."

These milestones are related to the successful progression of the program
to Phase 2 studies, which explore the use of the Amira discovered FLAP
inhibitor in patients suffering from asthma.

"These milestones demonstrate the success of our partnership with GSK as
well as the need for new therapies for asthma sufferers." said Hari Kumar,
Chief Business Officer. "These milestone payments enable Amira to continue to
fund our highly productive research and development opportunities well into
the future."

About FLAP Inhibitors

FLAP (5-lipoxygenase-activating protein) is a key component early in the
leukotriene pathway, a complex signalling process that exerts control over
biological processes, such as inflammation and immunity. Excessive production
of leukotrienes exacerbates inflammatory diseases, such as asthma; the FLAP
gene has also been linked to a significant increase in the risk of myocardial
infarction and stroke. AM103 and AM803, Amira's FLAP inhibitors licensed to
GSK, bind to FLAP thereby inhibiting the synthesis of leukotrienes that cause
inflammation.

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