Revive Therapeutics Ltd. (“Revive” or the “Company”) (CSE: RVV, USA: RVVTF), a specialty life sciences company focused on the research and development of therapeutics for medical needs and rare disorders, is pleased to announce it has filed an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") to receive Orphan Drug Designation ("ODD") for Psilocybin to treat moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (“TBI”).

There are no FDA approved treatments for cognitive impairments due to TBI. Moderate to severe TBI is a subset of TBI and can lead to a physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes over the course of a person’s life. These changes may affect a person’s ability to function in their everyday life. Approximately 50% of people with severe TBI will experience further decline in their daily lives or die within 9 years of their injury. People with TBI are fifty times more likely to die from seizures and six times more likely to die from pneumonia.[1]

Psilocybin offers a potential solution to manage moderate to severe cases of TBI. Psilocybin has the potential with its neuroreparative effect to improve loss of cognitive function after TBI lessening disability. The clinical effect of psilocybin appears to be related to its attenuation of traumatically-induced glutamate excitotoxicity during the early post-injury period. In preclinical studies conducted at the National Health Research Institutes, which was part of the research program acquired from PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (CSE: PHRM) (OTCQB: PHRRF), characterized the potential neuroreparative effect of psilocybin compared to being treated with a vehicle (saline) using a TBI mouse model. Adult mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups: (1) control, (2) TBI+vehicle, (3) TBI+low dose psilocybin, and (4) high dose psilocybin. Cognitive function was examined by the Morris water maze test after the injury. It was found that psilocybin, given after injury, improved cognitive function in TBI mice. Also, there were no adverse effects observed with psilocybin.  

Michael Frank, CEO of Revive commented: “The FDA orphan drug application for psilocybin to treat moderate to severe TBI is an important milestone for Revive as we focus on building a robust product pipeline focused on novel uses and delivery forms of psilocybin to treat significant unmet medical needs. We are currently seeking to evaluate psilocybin in a clinical trial for moderate to severe TBI and advancing our development of a proprietary oral thin film psilocybin product for the potential treatment of certain neurological disorders, such as brain damage caused by all forms of TBI and stroke, and other related mental health and substance abuse disorders.”

The Orphan Drug Act grants special status to a drug or biological product to treat a rare disease or condition upon request of a sponsor. This status is referred to as orphan designation (or sometimes "orphan status"). The FDA grants ODD status to products that treat rare diseases, providing incentives to sponsors developing drugs or biologics. The FDA defines rare diseases as those affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States at any given time. ODD would qualify psilocybin for certain benefits and incentives, including seven years of marketing exclusivity if regulatory approval is ultimately received for the designated indication, potential tax credits for certain clinical drug testing costs, activities, eligibility for orphan drug grants, and the waiver of the FDA New Drug Application filing fee of approximately USD $2,400,000.

About Revive Therapeutics Ltd.

Revive is a life sciences company focused on the research and development of therapeutics for infectious diseases and rare disorders, and it is prioritizing drug development efforts to take advantage of several regulatory incentives awarded by the FDA such as Orphan Drug, Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy and Rare Pediatric Disease designations. Currently, the Company is exploring the use of Bucillamine for the potential treatment of infectious diseases, with an initial focus on severe influenza and COVID-19. With its recent acquisition of Psilocin Pharma Corp., Revive is advancing the development of Psilocybin-based therapeutics in various diseases and disorders. Revive’s cannabinoid pharmaceutical portfolio focuses on rare inflammatory diseases and the company was granted FDA orphan drug status designation for the use of Cannabidiol (CBD) to treat autoimmune hepatitis (liver disease) and to treat ischemia and reperfusion injury from organ transplantation. For more information, visit www.ReviveThera.com.

For more information, please contact:

Michael Frank
Chief Executive Officer
Revive Therapeutics Ltd.
Tel: 1 888 901 0036
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.revivethera.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words “could”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe”, “will”, “projected”, “estimated” and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Revive’s current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Forward looking information in this press release includes information with respect to the the Company’s cannabinoids, psychedelics and infectious diseases programs. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by Revive at the date of the information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Revive is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Reference is made to the risk factors disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual MD&A for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, which has been filed on SEDAR and is available under the Company’s profile at www.sedar.com.

Source:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/moderate_to_severe_tbi_lifelong-a.pdf