Awakn Life Sciences Receives UK State Funding to Identify Optimal Pathway to Market in UK & US for Its Lead Clinical Development Program – Ketamine-Assisted Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder

Awakn Provides Business Update on Progressing its Lead Program from Phase II b to Phase III

Toronto, Ontario–(Newsfile Corp. – July 5, 2022) – Awakn Life Sciences Corp. (NEO: AWKN) (OTCQB: AWKNF) (FSE: 954), a revenue-generating biotechnology company researching, developing and commercializing therapeutics to treat addiction with a near-term focus on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), is pleased to announce it has secured funding from Innovate UK to identify the quickest and most cost-effective route to market in both the UK and the US for Awakn’s lead program – proprietary ketamine-assisted therapy for treating AUD. Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency which provided the funding in an initiative delivered jointly by CPI and ABHI.

Awakn’s activities will be delivered in collaboration with Veristat, a global Clinical Research Organization (CRO) that specialises in accelerating client therapies through the clinical development process into regulatory approval and commercialization. Veristat supported marketing applications for 12% of all US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Novel Drug Approvals in 2021.

Awakn’s Chief Scientific Officer, Shaun McNulty commented: “Our Phase II a/b ‘KARE’ study, led by Professor Celia Morgan, showed that ketamine-assisted therapy has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of AUD. This funding enables Awakn, working closely with Veristat, to bring a much-needed effective treatment approach to the market as soon as possible. Delivering this innovative therapeutic approach as rapidly as possible to patients in the UK and the US is critical to address this major unmet medical need.”

Anthony Tennyson Awakn’s CEO added: “Securing these funds from Innovate UK is a major endorsement of our efforts and approach to developing new and effective treatments for addictions. Our Lead program has all the right components to make a lasting difference for the very significant number of people who are suffering from AUD. We are also delighted to be working with a partner of the calibre of Veristat and to have the ability to benefit from their significant expertise. The addiction treatment market opportunity is, unfortunately, large and growing, and Awakn is uniquely positioned to offer proven therapeutics supported by data to sufferers for whom the current standard of care is inadequate and relapse rates are unacceptably high.

Project Kestrel

Awakn is also providing a business update on its lead program. Awakn has renamed its lead program to Project Kestrel. Project Kestrel will aim to deliver marketing authorization/regulatory approval for ketamine-assisted therapy to treat AUD in both the UK and the US with clear Intellectual Property (IP) surrounding the treatment. Project Kestrel builds on Awakn’s successful Phase II a/b ‘KARE’ clinical trial and efficacy data released in January 2022, which demonstrated safety and efficacy as a new treatment option for AUD patients.

Awakn has started planning and intends to initiate a Phase III trial in the UK in 2022 as a prelude to initiating a further Phase III trial in the US thereafter. Both are designed to provide the key data necessary to bring Project Kestrel to the market as soon as possible. Awakn has also applied for a grant to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in the UK to cover two-thirds of the cost of the planned UK Phase III trial and a decision on this application is anticipated shortly.

The outputs from Project Kestrel will benefit all of Awakn’s Research and Development project portfolio by defining a clear regulatory pathway for drug-assisted therapies to treat not only AUD but also a broad range of other behavioral addictions which Awakn is developing therapies for.

About Awakn Life Sciences Corp.

Awakn Life Sciences Corp. is a revenue-generating biotechnology company researching, developing, and commercialising therapeutics to treat substance and behavioral addictions. Awakn has a near-term focus on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), a condition affecting 400m people globally for which the current standard of care is inadequate. Our goal is to provide effective therapeutics to addiction sufferers in desperate need and our strategy is focused on commercializing our R&D pipeline across multiple channels.

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About Project Kestrel

Project Kestrel is the lead clinical development program of Awakn Life Sciences. Project Kestrel is supported by Awakn’s Phase II a/b ‘KARE’ clinical trial which examined ketamine-assisted therapy for the treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). The trial resulted in patients experiencing on average 86% abstinence at 6 months post treatment versus 2% before the trial which means that study participants went from being sober on average 7 days a year to being sober on average 314 days a year. Awakn is planning to initiate a Phase III trial in the UK in 2022 and plans to seek regulatory approval in the UK and the US in due course.

About Veristat

Veristat, a scientific-minded global clinical research organization (CRO), enables sponsors to solve the unique and complex challenges associated with accelerating therapies through clinical development to regulatory approval. With more than 27 years of experience in clinical trial planning and execution, Veristat is equipped to support any development program. The company has prepared nearly 100 marketing applications for approval with global regulatory authorities in the last 10 years. 

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This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements reflect current expectations or beliefs regarding future events or the Company’s future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “continues”, “forecasts”, “projects”, “predicts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “targets” or “believes”, or variations of, or the negatives of, such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved, including statements relating the business of the Company. All forward-looking statements, including those herein are qualified by this cautionary statement.

Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the statements. There are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking information. These include, but are not limited to:COVID-19; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; the business plans and strategies of the Company; the ability of the Company to comply with all applicable governmental regulations in a highly regulated business; the inherent risks in investing in target companies or projects which have limited or no operating history and are engaged in activities currently considered illegal in some jurisdictions; changes in laws; limited operating history; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; fluctuations in securities markets; inconsistent public opinion and perception regarding the medical-use of psychedelic drugs; expectations regarding the size of the addiction market; and regulatory or political change. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date or dates specified in such statements.

Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For more information on the Company, investors are encouraged to review the Company’s public filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward- looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities in the United States. The Company’s and Awakn’s securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act“) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Investor Enquiries:
Anthony Tennyson, CEO, Awakn Life Sciences
anthony.tennyson@awaknlifesciences.com

Media Enquiries:
America and Canada: KCSA Strategic Communications
Anne Donohoe
Adonohoe@KCSA.com

Rest of World: ROAD Communications
Paul Jarman / Nora Popova
Awakn@roadcommunications.co.uk

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