Anthera Pharmaceuticals Announces Notice of Allowance of U.S. Patent Application Covering A-002 Plus Statin Compositions

Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

, a biopharmaceutical company developing drugs to treat serious diseases associated with inflammation, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has given the Company a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application No. 12/114,710 entitled "Treatment of cardiovascular disease and dyslipidemia using secretory phospholipase A2 inhibitors and sPLA2 inhibitor combination therapies." The patent grants Anthera exclusive rights to compositions containing varespladib and any statins such as Lipitor or Crestor. Statin therapies are currently utilized to manage high cholesterol levels in patients with various cardiovascular diseases including Acute Coronary Syndrome. As disclosed in the patent application, the combination of varespladib with a statin demonstrated unexpected synergy for lowering LDL levels and reducing atherosclerotic plaque formation. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office further notified the Company that following issuance, the patent will receive a Patent Term Adjustment of 353 days.