Amira to present AM152 preclinical data in fibrotic disease at ATS Annual Meeting

Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it will present preclinical data on AM152, an LPA1 receptor antagonist, during the Annual Meeting of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) in Denver, Colorado.  The poster, titled "The LPA1 Antagonist, AM152, Is Efficacious in Mouse Models of Fibrosis," will be presented on Monday, May 16, from 8:15 to 10:45 a.m. MDT.

The LPA1 receptor is part of the lysophosphatidic acid signaling pathway.  Under pathological conditions, LPA1 is associated with a breakdown of the endothelial barrier and the stimulation of fibroblast recruitment, proliferation and transformation, resulting in excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins.  Studies have shown that the LPA1 receptor may play a role in several fibrotic diseases, including Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF).

"Our preclinical data demonstrate that AM152 reduces pro-fibrotic activity by fibroblasts in vitro and tissue fibrosis in numerous in vivo models," said Gretchen Bain, Ph.D., Executive Director of Biology.  "AM152 reduces fibrosis in multiple tissue types thus providing a strong rationale for clinical exploration in patients suffering from a variety of fibrotic diseases."

Bob Baltera, Chief Executive Officer, added, "Our lead LPA1 program, AM152, is one of the cornerstones for Amira's future.  As previously disclosed, we look forward to initiating Phase 2a clinical studies in patients suffering from fibrotic disease in order to explore the therapeutic benefit of this compound."