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William A. Kinney, PhD

Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Kinney is a medicinal chemist and entrepreneur with greater than 25 years of experience in large pharmaceutical (Wyeth, Johnson & Johnson), biotechnology (Magainin), and non-profit (Blumberg Institute) research and development. He has demonstrated expertise in drug design; synthesis; lead optimization of peptides, small molecules, and natural products; and is inventor of three molecules that advanced to human clinical trials – Perzinfotel (CNS disorders and pain), Squalamine (oncology and AMD), and Trodusquemine (obesity).

Currently, Dr. Kinney is Director of the Natural Product Discovery Institute and Chief Scientific Officer at KannaLife Sciences. His scientific contributions include more than 70 publications and presentations; and inventorship on 38 issued U.S. patents.

Dr. Kinney is a co-inventor of two US Patents, first in U.S. Patent #9611213 titled “Functionalized 1,3 Benzene-diols and their Method of Use for the Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy.” This patent is part of a divisional patent application by the Company to the USPTO whereby the Company sought separate claims for composition of matter, covered in Pat. #9611213 and separate claims for method of treatment in U.S. Patent #10004722 titled “Method for Treating Hepatic Encephalopathy or a Disease Associated with Free Radical Mediate Stress and Oxidative Stress with Novel Functionalized 1,3 Benzene-diols.”

Dr. Kinney is also co-author of the following peer-reviewed and published articles: ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters (2016, 7, 424-428) “Discovery of KLS-13019, a Cannabidiol-Derived Neuroprotective Agent, with Improved Potency, Safety, and Permeability,” Journal of Molecular Neuroscience (14 August 2018) “Pharmacological Comparisons Between Cannabidiol and KLS-13019,” and Journal of Molecular Neuroscience (10 May 2019) “Knockdown siRNA Targeting the Mitochondrial Sodium-Calcium Exchanger-1 Inhibits the Protective Effects of Two Cannabinoids Against Acute Paclitaxel Toxicity.”