DOYLESTOWN, Pa., Sept. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kannalife, Inc. (“Kannalife” or the “Company”) (OTCQB: KLFE), a biopharmaceutical medicinal chemistry company specializing in the research and development of potent novel monotherapeutics, announced today that it has appointed pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry veteran Dr. Tage Honoré as the Chairman of the Company’s Board of Advisors.
Dr. Honoré is a world-renowned pharma and biotechnology executive, entrepreneur, and pioneer with expert knowledge in the fields of Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), anxiety, cancer immunotherapy, chronic pain, depression, epilepsy, female hormone replacement therapy (HRT), learning disorders, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and schizophrenia. Among his many accomplishments is the discovery of the AMPA subtype of excitatory amino acid receptors, as well as the AMPA antagonists CNQX and NBQX, which have been key tools for mapping the excitatory pathways in the central nervous system (CNS).
“Dr. Honoré’s successes are attributed to his ability to translate science to product opportunities and his understanding of the need to integrate research, clinic, market and financial stakeholders. We are pleased and excited to have him on board. His clinical drug development experience and knowledge in the CNS and PNS space is invaluable and timely to our current efforts to head towards the clinic with KLS-13019,” said Dean Petkanas, CEO of Kannalife.
Additionally, Dr. Honoré has published more than 100 scientific papers, is the inventor on 23 patents, and has championed 40 drugs to progress from idea to clinical development, including Gabatril (tiagabine) and other novel compounds that entered the prescription drug market.
The organizational models Dr. Honoré developed to obtain record pipeline productivity in several companies are key to his business achievements. He has held several positions, including: VP Drug Discovery at Novo Nordisk A/S; Senior Executive VP Nervous System Research at Novartis Pharma Inc; VP Discovery Research at Purdue Pharma LP; and President and CEO at Aestus Therapeutics Inc.
Dr. Honoré has a master’s degree in pharmaceutical science and doctoral degrees in medicinal chemistry and neurobiology. He also has business training from Harvard Business School and European Management Centre.
“Kannalife is uniquely positioned to become a major player in the field of neurodegeneration, focusing on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) where treatment is hampered by abuse potential and/or lack of efficacy. In addition, a number of neurodegenerative diseases such as hepatic encephalopathy (HE) connected to different degrees of liver failure and traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by repetitive concussions simply lack targeted and efficacious therapy and may benefit from the reduction of oxidative stress mediated by KLS-13019,” said Dr. Honoré.
About Kannalife, Inc.
Kannalife, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical medchem company focused on the development of proprietary and patented novel, monotherapeutic molecules for patients suffering from unmet medical needs of neurodegenerative disorders – including chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a chronic neuropathy caused by toxic chemotherapeutic agents; hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a neurotoxic brain-liver disorder caused by excessive concentrations of ammonia and ethanol in the brain; mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), a disorder associated with single and repetitive impact injuries; and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease associated with highly repetitive impact injuries in professional and amateur sports.
Atopidine™ is Kannalife’s novel, patented small molecule that has been shown to have protective and anti-inflammatory properties in pre-clinical testing. The same studies show that it has also outperformed cannabidiol (CBD) in preventing inflammatory responses relevant to UVB-radiation, including cytokines, TNF-a, IL-1b, and IL-6.
KLS-13019 is Kannalife’s leading patented, investigational, novel, monotherapeutic product for the potential treatment of a range of neurodegenerative and neuropathic pain disorders, beginning with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Neither KLS-13019 or Atopidine™ have been reviewed or approved for patient use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other healthcare authority in the world. Their safety and efficacy have not been confirmed by FDA-approved research.
The Company’s KLS Family of proprietary molecules focuses on treating oxidative stress-related diseases such as HE, chronic pain from neuropathies like CIPN, and neurodegenerative diseases like CTE. Kannalife conducts its research and development efforts at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County in Doylestown, PA.
For more information about Kannalife, Inc., visit www.kannalife.com and the Company’s Twitter page at @Kannalife.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This press release contains statements about expected future events, the Company’s business plan, plan of operations, the viability of the Company’s drug candidates, the Company’s position, and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements, by definition, involve risks and uncertainties. The Company does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act.
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