Ardea Biosciences, Inc. (RDEA)

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Ardea Biosciences Presents Preclinical Data on RDEA119 Demonstrating Favorable Anti-Inflammatory Profile for Potential Use in Ulcerative Colitis
Tuesday May 20, 6:30 pm ET
-- Phase 1 RDEA119 data expected in second half of 2008 --
-- Presentation at the Seventh Annual JMP Securities Research Conference on May 21st canceled; webcast of corporate update scheduled during Ardea's Annual Stockholder Meeting on May 22nd at 9:30 a.m. PT --

SAN DIEGO, May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ardea Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: RDEA - News) today announced that data was presented on the Company's lead mitogen-activated ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor, RDEA119, demonstrating potent activity in mouse models of colitis. An oral presentation of the data was given at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2008 in San Diego, California.

The MEK1/2 pathway is important in cell cycle regulation in inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. RDEA119 was shown to reduce damage to colonic tissue in two different mouse models of colitis, murine trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis model and murine dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) colitis model. The beneficial effect observed equaled or exceeded that of sulfasalazine (Azulfidine®), a therapy commonly used for acute and maintenance treatment of ulcerative colitis.

"Despite the existing treatments, there are still significant unmet medical needs for inflammatory bowel disease. Blocking the MEK1/2 pathway appears to be a promising strategy in the ongoing search for a new generation of therapies aimed to treat ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease," said Barry D. Quart, PharmD, Ardea Biosciences' President and CEO. "These data further support the potential use of orally administered MEK inhibitors, such as RDEA119, for the treatment of inflammatory diseases."

To support the development of RDEA119 in inflammatory diseases, a Phase 1 study in normal healthy volunteers is ongoing in which the Company is evaluating the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of RDEA119, as well as its ability to inhibit inflammatory cytokines. Preliminary Phase 1 data have demonstrated that RDEA119 has a long half-life and favorable pharmacokinetic properties, allowing for once daily oral dosing. In addition, RDEA119 is currently in a Phase 1 study in advanced cancer patients. The doses being evaluated in the Phase 1 study in advanced cancer patients have achieved systemic exposure consistent with active doses in animal models of human tumors, without drug-related toxicity.

The presentation is available on the Company website (http://www.ardeabio.com/) under the title "RDEA119, a Potent and Highly Selective MEK Inhibitor Ameliorates Murine Colitis."

Corporate Update at Annual Stockholder Meeting

Ardea will provide a corporate update at its Annual Stockholder Meeting. The presentation is scheduled for Thursday, May 22nd, at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time. To participate by telephone, please dial 877-440-5804 from the U.S. and Canada or [phone] for international callers. In addition, the live conference call is being webcast and can be accessed on the "News & Events" page of the Company's website at http://www.ardeabio.com. A replay will also be available on Ardea's website for 14 days and by telephone through May 31, 2008. For the telephonic replay, please dial 888-203-1112 in the U.S. and Canada or [phone] for international callers, and enter passcode 9342491 when prompted.