Amira: Beyond Singulair

Based on the work of CSO Peppi Prasit, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc. is developing compounds to treat inflammation, including one that inhibits multiple targets in the leukotriene pathway to treat asthma. Prasit believes the compound, AM-103, will expand the patient population now covered by asthma drug Singulair montelukast from Merck & Co. Inc.

AM-103 inhibits cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 (CysLT1), CysLT2 and leuko-triene B4 type 1 receptor (BLT1) in the leukotriene pathway. Singulair targets only CysLT1 but "is highly effective in a subset of asthmatics," according to Prasit. Thus the company believes its molecule should cover a bigger population than Singulair. ...