San Diego, CA – Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals Inc., announces its acquisition of the license to SUN11031, synthetic human ghrelin, from Kinemed Inc. Oxeia will develop SUN11031 as OXE-103 to treat concussions and other acute neurotrauma.

“Ghrelin is a well-characterized molecule with pleiotropic neuroprotective properties that are applicable to concussions. With SUN11031 we are able to rapidly initiate Phase 2 clinical studies for concussion, saving years of development time and reducing capital requirements,” said Dr. Mark Corrigan, Senior R&D Advisor to Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals.

SUN11031 maintained a strong safety profile across nine previous clinical studies totaling 345 patients. In the agreement Oxeia accesses all prior data including an open US FDA Investigational New Drug Application (IND) and clinical supply of SUN11031.

Chris Nowinski, Ph.D., CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation and Advisor to Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals commented, “From professional football to youth sports, concussions are a major health concern lacking effective treatments. Oxeia continues to show its leadership and commitment to developing a concussion treatment based in strong scientific rationale with the acquisition of this advanced ghrelin program.”

Concussions induce a metabolic response within the brain resulting in an “energy crisis” as brain cells attempt to respond to the injury. Oxeia’s lead program, OXE-103, uniquely targets the metabolic dysfunction and subsequent neurotrauma underlying acute concussion pathophysiology. Oxeia anticipates initiating Phase 2 studies for OXE-103 in concussion and additional neurological indications in early 2018.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 2.8 million cases of traumatic brain injury are seen in US hospital emergency rooms every year, and up to 3.8 million additional concussions occur in sports and recreation, although most go undiagnosed. Further, the number of children age 19 and younger presenting to the emergency room with concussion from sports or recreation more than doubled from 2001 to 2012. 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 clinical stage biotechnology company headquartered in San Diego, CA. The company is focused on advancing development of molecularly-driven approaches to treat concussions and other acute neurotrauma conditions.

About SUN11031
SUN11031 is a fully synthetic analog of the human ghrelin hormone. The program was initially developed for treatment of muscle wasting and appetite disorders associated with chronic diseases. The program was outlicensed to Kinemed, Inc. (Piedmont, CA) via Biopharma Forest Inc. (Japan).

About Concussion Legacy Foundation and Chris Nowinski
The Concussion Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Boston. It was founded in 2007 by Robert Cantu, MD, and Christopher Nowinski, PhD, 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. Chris Nowinski is also a co- founder of the Boston University CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) Center, and 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 received his Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience at Boston University School of Medicine. For more information, please visit www.ConcussionFoundation.org.

Contact:
Kartik Shah, Chief Business Officer
info@oxeiabiopharma.com
207.232.2863