San Diego, CA – Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals Inc., a biotechnology company leading the industry in the development of first-in-class neurometabolic treatments for concussions and brain injury, today announced that Christopher Nowinski, co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, has joined the company’s Advisory Board.

“Chris Nowinski is a leader in educating the public about the dangers of untreated concussions. His groundbreaking book, 'Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis,' was the first to sound the alarm identifying the problem and he has worked tirelessly since to develop solutions. Chris understands from experience the potential for acute neurometabolic treatments to improve clinical outcomes for patients,” said Kartik Shah, co-founder and President of Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals.

Chris Nowinski, co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to solving the sports concussion crisis through education, policy, and research. He is also a co-founder of the Boston University CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) Center. Mr. Nowinski also serves on the NFL Players Association Mackey-White Health and Safety Committee, the Ivy League Concussion Committee, Positive Coaching Alliance National Advisory Board, and as an advisor to Major League Lacrosse.  He is a Ph.D. candidate in Behavioral Neuroscience at Boston University School of Medicine.

“Oxeia is at the leading edge of concussion drug development. I know from personal experience just how devastating concussions can be, and have dedicated my life to raising awareness of the problem and searching for solutions. Development of novel drugs with strong mechanistic and biologic rationale is needed. I am excited to join Oxeia’s advisory board as they begin their clinical studies and work to fill this unmet need,” Nowinski stated.

Concussions induce a metabolic response within the brain, resulting in acute neuro-mitochondrial dysfunction and an “energy crisis” as brain cells attempt to respond to the injury.

Oxeia’s lead program, OXE-103, uniquely targets the metabolic dysfunction and energy crisis underlying acute concussion pathology. OXE-103 restores mitochondrial homeostasis via a well-characterized mechanism of action. Oxeia is nearing commencement of clinical studies for OXE-103 in concussion patients.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 2.2 million cases of traumatic brain injury are seen in US hospital emergency rooms every year, and undiagnosed or unreported concussion cases may double the annual incidence. Further, the rate of diagnosis for sports and recreation related concussions in children increased sharply since 2001 (57% increase from 2001-2009 alone). Children and teenagers suffer the majority of concussions in the United States. These injuries, especially when they lead to post-concussion symptoms, can affect school, sports, and home life. As the consequences of concussions are becoming better understood, active concussion rehabilitation and treatment are needed.

Please visit www.oxeiabiopharma.com for more information and contact details.

About Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held biotechnology company headquartered in San Diego, CA. The company is focused on advancing development of molecularly-driven approaches to treat concussions and other neurodegenerative conditions involving mitochondrial dysfunction.

About Concussion Legacy Foundation
The Concussion Legacy Foundation (formerly the Sports Legacy Institute) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Boston. It was founded in 2007 by Robert Cantu, MD, and Christopher Nowinski to solve the concussion crisis by advancing the study, treatment and prevention of the effects of brain trauma in athletes and other at-risk groups. For more information, please visit ConcussionFoundation.org.

Contact:
Greg Howard
media@oxeiabiopharma.com
207.232.2863