Alimera Sciences Inc (ALIM) SEC Filing 10-K Annual report for the fiscal year ending Saturday, December 31, 2011

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ALIMERA SCIENCES REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER 2011 FINANCIAL RESULTS

ILUVIEN^® expected to be first sustained release pharmaceutical in the

European Union (EU) to treat diabetic macular edema (DME)

Alimera believes marketing authorizations for ILUVIEN^® will be received from

seven EU countries before the end of the First Quarter 2012

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments at December 31, 2011

Totaled $33.6 Million

Alimera Will Host a Conference Call at 4:30 P.M. ET Today

ATLANTA, GA March 8, 2012 — Alimera Sciences, Inc., (NASDAQ: ALIM) (Alimera), a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the research, development and commercialization of prescription ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2011.

“Last week we announced the positive outcome of the Decentralized Procedure for ILUVIEN^® in Europe, indicating that ILUVIEN is approvable, in the seven European countries in which we filed, for the treatment of chronic diabetic macular edema,” said Dan Myers, Alimera’s president and chief executive officer. “We now are focused on the national phase of the process, during which labeling in each country’s local language is finalized. We expect to receive marketing authorization in each country by the end of the first quarter.”

The International Diabetes Federation estimates that 19.1 million people are currently living with diabetes in the seven countries in which Alimera filed for marketing authorization (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom). Of these, Alimera estimates that 1.1 million people suffer from diabetic macular edema (DME).

“I would like to reiterate that this is not only a positive achievement for Alimera, but an exciting development for the many patients in Europe suffering from this debilitating disease,” said Mr. Myers. “We are now working to ensure that ILUVIEN is made available to patients as soon as possible, which we expect to be by the end of 2012.”