This article was originally published on Microdose Psychedelic Insights and appears here with permission.
While not on most people’s sexiest shroom stock list, Seelos Therapeutics has been a solid presence in the space for some time.
For those who might not know, Seelos is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapeutics to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders and other rare conditions. The company has a portfolio of non-psychedelic compounds but it’s their SLS-002, an intranasal racemic ketamine, that’s made them an often overlooked but serious psychedelic player.
In 2019, the FDA granted Fast Track designation for Seelos’ SLS-002 giving the company a leg-up in the approval process, and Seelos has begun dosing patients as part of a Proof of Concept study for Acute Suicidal Ideation in patients with Major Depressive Disorder.
This week Seelos released several pieces of important news: they raised $20 million in capital, acquired a worldwide license for sublingual ketamine delivery technology, and announced the evaluation of a new SLS-003 compound for chronic pain indications and psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
See the company’s press releases below for full details.
Seelos Therapeutics Announces Acquisition of an Exclusive License of iX Biopharma’s Proprietary Wafer-Based Delivery Platform for Sublingual Ketamine
– New SLS-003 Program Extends Seelos’ Ketamine Franchise into Additional Indications Including Chronic Neuropathic Pain and Additional Psychiatric Disorders
– Program has been Granted Orphan Drug Designation in the US for the Treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SEEL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapies for central nervous system disorders and rare diseases, today announced it has entered into an exclusive license agreement (License Agreement), whereby it acquired a worldwide license (excluding China, Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong) from iX Biopharma Ltd (iX Biopharma) for Wafermine™, a sublingual racemic ketamine wafer, and a worldwide license for other sublingual ketamine wafers, delivered using a proprietary fast-dissolving wafer-based drug delivery platform technology known as WaferiX™.
Seelos plans to evaluate sublingual ketamine, now named SLS-003, in pain indications such as chronic neuropathic pain and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and in additional psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Wafermine™ Orphan Drug designation for the treatment of CRPS.
“Our licensing of this new program broadens Seelos’ ketamine franchise with a formulation that we believe will be more suitable for chronic dosing in indications like CRPS and PTSD, which are both very difficult indications to treat…
Read more:Seelos Raises $20M, Acquires Ketamine Tech, And Announces New Drug