Ardea Biosciences Presents Inflammation Program Data for Arthritis and Gout at 2008 Annual European Congress of Rh...( - RDEA119 Produced Significant Be...)

- RDEA119 Produced Significant Beneficial Effect in Animal Models of

Arthritis -

- RDEA594 Shows Promise as an Effective Treatment for Gout -

SAN DIEGO, June 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ardea Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: RDEA) today announced that data will be presented on the Company's lead mitogen-activated ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor, RDEA119, demonstrating its potent activity in animal models of arthritis. In addition, the Company will present data on the mechanism of action for RDEA806 and RDEA594 in the area of gout. These data will be presented tomorrow at the 2008 Annual European Congress of Rheumatology Organized by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) in Paris, France.

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway plays a critical role in the control of cellular activation, proliferation and the production of inflammatory mediators. Suppression of the ERK pathway by inhibitors of MEK1/2 represents a potential therapeutic approach for treating chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. RDEA119 is a novel selective MEK1/2 inhibitor that was shown to produce a significant beneficial effect in three different animal models of arthritis:

-- Significantly reduced paw swelling in a dose-dependent manner in the

carrageenan-induced paw edema model in rats;

-- Virtually complete reduction in ankle swelling in the adjuvant-induced

arthritis model in rats;

-- Reduced arthritic scores by up to 82% in the collagen antibody-induced

arthritis model in mice.

"We are making excellent progress in all of our inflammation programs. To support the development of RDEA119 in inflammatory diseases, we a
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