Paul Strauss, M.D. Joins Omeros as VP, Clinical Development.

SEATTLE -- Omeros Corporation announced today that Paul Strauss, M.D., has joined the company as Vice President, Clinical Development. In his new position, Dr. Strauss will be responsible for overseeing and directing all clinical activities at Omeros, including the ongoing Phase 3 clinical studies for OMS103HP, the company's lead product to reduce pain and improve function following arthroscopic surgery.

"Paul is a strong addition to our management team," said Gregory Demopulos, M.D., Chairman and CEO of Omeros. "He brings a depth and breadth of experience, and a proven track record of success in drug development. Paul has led clinical programs in most of the therapeutic areas targeted by Omeros. It's a great fit."

Dr. Strauss was the Therapeutic Area Vice President and Project Leader - Arthritis, Inflammation, Pain for Pharmacia where he was in charge of Pharmacia's development efforts across each of those therapeutic areas, including anti-inflammatory drugs and an anti-TNF-[eth] antibody for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Previously he was Therapeutic Vice President and Project Leader - Inflammation, Migraine, Thrombosis, Urology, Women's Health, Sexual Health and Oncology. He also led Pharmacia's in-licensing teams across a wide range of areas, including anti-inflammatories. After leaving Pharmacia, Dr. Strauss worked briefly as a consultant, advising biomedical and pharmaceutical companies on drug development and product acquisition. Throughout his career in the pharmaceutical industry, he has led clinical programs for prescription and over-the-counter drug products approved for marketing by the US FDA and international regulatory bodies, and has successfully co-developed drugs with companies in the US, Europe and Japan.

"With a pipeline of products that are in or entering clinical studies, Omeros is a tremendous opportunity for a drug developer," said Dr. Strauss. "I expect that these products will have a significant impact on patient care. The markets for the current indications are large, and each of Omeros' product lines is expandable across a broad range of disorders and clinical settings."

Prior to entering industry, Dr. Strauss was a Senior Dermatologist Specialist at the Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He received his M.D. from the University of Stellenbosch and his specialist degree from the University of Cape Town.

Omeros Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company advancing a pipeline of product candidates for use in orthopedics, rheumatology, urology, cardiovascular medicine, general surgery and pain management. Omeros' patented product candidates are based on a systems biology approach:

    There is no single pathway or mediator responsible for
    inflammation, pain or any other problem resulting from disease or
    the trauma of surgery. Problems like inflammation and pain are the
    result of integrated and interacting networks of pathways and
    mechanisms.

Our product candidates are designed to act on multiple molecular targets at the site of delivery to improve therapeutic benefit while minimizing the risk of side effects. Omeros is located at 1420 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2600, Seattle, WA 98101, Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone], www.omeros.com.