Omeros initiates enrollment in OMS824 Phase 1 trial for schizophrenia and Huntington's

Omeros Corporation (NASDAQ: OMER) today announced that the first subject has been enrolled in the Company's Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating OMS824, the lead compound in Omeros' phosphodiesterase 10 (PDE10) program.  OMS824 selectively inhibits PDE10, an enzyme expressed in areas of the brain linked to a wide range of diseases that affect cognition, including schizophrenia and Huntington's disease.  This Phase 1 dose-ranging study is evaluating the drug's safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics in healthy subjects, and Omeros expects clinical data before year end.

"We are excited that we have begun evaluating OMS824 – our first compound developed entirely in house – in humans," said Gregory A. Demopulos, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Omeros.  "Our PDE10 program represents our fourth active clinical program, and the two in Phase 3 trials are poised to read out data this quarter.  We are also continuing to advance our preclinical pipeline, and currently three more programs are slated to enter the clinic in 2013."