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Press Release Source: Genaera Corporation


Genaera Announces Appointments to Ophthalmic Advisory Board
Friday April 23, 8:30 am ET


PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., April 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Genaera Corporation (Nasdaq: GENR - News) today announced the recent appointment of ten world-renowned ophthalmic and retinal specialists to its Ophthalmic Advisory Board:
-- Susan B. Bressler, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Director, Wilmer
Photograph Reading Center, Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland*;

-- Charles A. Garcia, MD, Bernice Weingarten Distinguished Professor of
Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Texas Health Science
Center, Houston, Texas;

-- Glenn J. Jaffe, BA, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Duke University
Eye Center and Director of the Uveitis Service Duke Optical Coherence
Tomography Reading Center, Durham, North Carolina;

-- Michael L. Klein, MD, Professor, Casey Eye Institute-Oregon
Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon;

-- Hugo Quiroz-Mercado, MD, Chief of the Retina Service, Chief of
Experimental Surgery Laboratory and the Coordinator of the Research
Committee at the Asociacion Para Evitar la Ceguera en Mexico;

-- Gholam A. Peyman, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Co-Director of
Vitreo-Retinal Service, Tulane University School of Medicine, New
Orleans, Louisiana;

-- Lawrence I. Rand, MD, Retinal Specialist, Private Practice, Waban,
Massachusetts;

-- Carl D. Regillo, MD, FACS, Professor of Ophthalmology, Thomas
Jefferson University, School of Medicine and Wills Eye Hospital,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

-- Jack Owens Sipperley, MD, Senior Partner, Retinal Consultants of
Arizona, Ltd., Phoenix, Arizona; and

-- Edgar L. Thomas, MD, Retina-Vitreous Associates, Beverly Hills,
California.


"I believe squalamine has demonstrated the potential for systemic anti-angiogenesis therapy to be used safely to preserve or improve vision in patients with AMD, and to treat a broader range of ophthalmic indications characterized by neovascularization," noted Dr. Edgar Thomas.

"The current safety profile for squalamine as a systemic anti-angiogenic is excellent and certainly supports its use in Genaera's upcoming AMD studies," said Dr. Carl Regillo. "I look forward to participating in the development of squalamine for AMD with such an outstanding team of investigators and advisors."

"Squalamine provides a number of important advantages as a systemic anti-angiogenic therapy for AMD including treating both eyes, which is often necessary, with no additional risk. It also avoids the complications associated with intraocular and periocular injections, such as infection, needle associated injuries, and not to be overlooked, poor patient acceptance," commented Dr. Charles Garcia. "AMD is a chronic disease and systemic therapy such as squalamine also has the potential to allow a safer long-term maintenance or retreatment regimen, compared to ocular injection treatments."

"We are delighted and honored to have these experts in the field of ophthalmology and eye disease join our Ophthalmic Advisory Board," commented Roy C. Levitt, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Each member brings extraordinary scientific knowledge and a reputation as a thought leader in their field. Their involvement with Genaera will enable us to fulfill the goal of developing squalamine for the large, underserved age-related macular degeneration population."

Genaera Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing medicines for serious diseases from genomics and natural products. Research and development efforts are focused on anti-angiogenesis and respiratory diseases. Genaera has three products in development addressing substantial unmet medical needs in major pharmaceutical markets. These include squalamine, an anti-angiogenesis treatment for cancer and eye disease; interleukin-9 antibody, a respiratory treatment based on the discovery of a genetic cause of asthma; and LOMUCIN(TM), a mucoregulator to treat the overproduction of mucus and secretions involved in many forms of chronic respiratory disease. For more information on Genaera, visit the company's website at www.genaera.com.

* Participation by Dr. Susan B. Bressler as a member of the Scientific
Advisory Board does not constitute or imply endorsement by the Johns
Hopkins University, the Johns Hopkins Hospital, or the Johns Hopkins
Health System. Dr. Bressler's has been an advisor to Genaera since
July of 2003 under a one year consulting agreement that comes up for
renewal in July 2004.