AMAG Pharmaceuticals Awards Grants to Fund Prematurity Prevention Research

Recipients Selected by Independent Panel of Leading Experts in Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics

Annual Award Furthers AMAG’s Continued Commitment to Supporting Research to Improve the Health of Mothers and Babies

WALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 22, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAG) today announced that the company has awarded $155,000 in grants to fund research aimed at reducing premature birth and improving the health of neonates and infants in the United States through its Lumara Health Research Grants Program. Lumara Health is a division of AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

“We are pleased to double our investment in the Lumara Health Research Grants Program this year and have awarded grants to another group of deserving researchers and clinicians who are leading important research efforts to address preterm birth,” said Rob Kaper, M.D., senior vice president of medical and scientific affairs at AMAG. “We are committed to supporting research focused on improving the health of mothers and babies worldwide.”  

The 2015 grant recipients were selected by an independent external review panel of experts in maternal-fetal medicine, obstetrics, neonatal/pediatric health chaired by Dr. George Saade, Professor, Obstetrics/Gynecology and Cell Biology at The University of Texas Medical Branch.

“Historically, investments in clinical research focusing on maternal and neonatal populations have lagged behind other research areas. I believe these grants are an important step forward in supporting clinicians and researchers in advancing our understanding of preterm birth, which is a leading health concern among pregnant women,” said Dr. Saade. “I am pleased to be a part of this important effort by AMAG Pharmaceuticals and Lumara Health to support researchers making important strides in identifying ways to reduce preterm birth rates and associated complications.”

The external review panel awarded grants to the following investigators:

• Kelly Gibson, M.D. (Principal Investigator), a clinical instructor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and physician in maternal-fetal medicine at MetroHealth Medical Center, Brian Mercer, M.D. (co-investigator) and Edward Chien, M.D. (co-investigator) who are conducting a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blinded trial of indomethacin for tocolysis (the suppression of preterm labor);
• Jennifer L. Herington, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator), Jeff Reese, M.D. (co-Investigator) and Kelly A. Bennett, M.D. (co-Investigator) at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, who are researching novel therapeutic inhibitors of uterine contractility for the prevention of preterm labor;
• Sandra Reznik, M.D., Ph.D. (Principal Investigator), an associate professor in pharmaceutical sciences at St. John’s University in New York City, and the director of perinatal pathology and assistant professor in the departments of pathology and obstetrics and gynecology and women’s health at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY, and Juliet Mushi, M.D. (co-investigator) who are investigating the anti-inflammatory and potential tocolytic activities of N,N-dimethylacetamide-related compounds using in vitro and ex vivo models; and
• Molly Stout, M.D., MSCI, an assistant professor in obstetrics and gynecology, maternal-fetal medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Methodius Tuuli, M.D., M.PH. (co-investigator), George Macones, M.D., MSCE (co-investigator), Heidi Fujiwara, Ph.D. (co-investigator) and Daniel Ory, M.D. (co-investigator) will conduct research on 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate for preterm birth prevention and the association between its metabolites and efficacy.  

About AMAG 

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. uses its business and clinical expertise to develop and commercialize therapeutics that provide clear benefits and improve people’s lives. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, AMAG has a diverse portfolio of products in the areas of maternal health, anemia management and cancer supportive care. AMAG continues to work to expand the impact of these and future products for patients by delivering on its growth strategy, which includes organic growth, as well as the pursuit of products and companies that align with AMAG’s existing therapeutic areas or those that could benefit from its proven core competencies. For additional company information, please visit www.amagpharma.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. Any statements contained herein which do not describe historical facts, including but not limited to statements regarding the company’s commitment to supporting research focused on improving the health of mothers and babies worldwide and the Company’s belief that these grants are an important step forward in supporting clinicians and researchers in advancing our understanding of preterm birth are forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, those identified in AMAG’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including AMAG’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2015 and September 30, 2015, and subsequent filings with the SEC. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

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AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Contact:
Maryann Cimino
Manager, Corporate Communications & External Affairs
617-498-3375

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.