SAN FRANCISCO — Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a private start-up pharmaceutical company specializing in serious respiratory and inflammatory diseases, recently announced it has completed its Series A Preferred financing and is moving forward under a proven leadership team. The new company will be lead by Paul Truex in the role of President and Chief Executive Officer, who has extensive experience building successful companies, most recently Peninsula Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Truex has already enlisted a highly capable team to serve with him on the Board of Directors, including Lowell E. Sears of Sears Capital Management, who will lead the board as Chairman.

“Paul was the driving force behind the success of Peninsula Pharmaceuticals, which has been acquired by the Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals division of Johnson & Johnson, and his leadership built the company from its inception,” said Mr. Sears. “I am very excited to back the creation of a new company around Paul’s capabilities and demonstrated accomplishment in executing an in-licensing strategy to build a specialty pharmaceutical company.”

“Our first funding efforts met our goals and we are gratified by the confidence that our initial investors have shown in our vision. Our strategy to in-license compounds presents a great opportunity to jump start the development process with a viable product,” said Paul F. Truex, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Anthera will seek to bring products to market in areas that have the capacity for new compounds and better therapeutic options, including cystic fibrosis, COPD, asthma and acute lung injury. We are already negotiating multiple product opportunities and hope to be able to announce the acquisition of one or more of these in the near future.”