Ensysce Biosciences and OncoZenge Announce Letter of Intent for the Co-development of BupiZenge™ in the United States
Collaboration Aims to Accelerate Development of BupiZenge™, a Novel Pain Treatment for Oral Mucositis Associated with Cancer Treatment
SAN DIEGO, CA and STOCKHOLM, Sweden – November 28, 2023 - Ensysce Biosciences, Inc. (“Ensysce” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:ENSC), a clinical-stage company applying transformative chemistry to improve prescription drug safety, and OncoZenge AB (“OncoZenge”) (STO:ONCOZ), a clinical-stage company developing a transformative treatment for oral pain, are pleased to announce today that they have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to explore a strategic collaboration to accelerate the commercialization of BupiZenge™ in the United States.
BupiZenge™ is OncoZenge’s novel approach to treating pain caused by oral mucositis, an often severely debilitating condition of painful swelling and ulcerations of the mouth that commonly results from head and neck radiation and/or chemotherapy used to treat cancer. Left untreated, oral intake of food or fluids may be severely impeded and may adversely impact a patient’s prognosis and quality of life.
BupiZenge™ is a non-opioid oral formulation of the well-established local anesthetic bupivacaine. OncoZenge has successfully progressed BupiZenge™ through Phase 2 in the European Union (EU) and is currently in planning for the registrational Phase 3 program. Results from the Phase 2 study conducted in head and neck cancer patients with oral mucositis demonstrated strong efficacy in relieving pain with good safety and tolerability.
The proposed collaboration aims to leverage the expertise and resources of both companies to accelerate the path to market in the United States for this innovative therapy that addresses critical unmet needs in the fields of analgesia and oncology.
Stian Kildal, CEO of OncoZenge, commented, “This collaboration aligns with our mission to enhance patient quality of life and provides a firm foundation for access to the important US market. In Ensysce we have found an experienced team that shares our passion and commitment to progress BupiZenge towards market approval. Together we have the potential to accelerate the introduction of our pain medication to those millions of patients who lack safe and effective treatment options under today’s Standard of Care.”
"We are thrilled to embark on this co-development with OncoZenge to further diversify our current portfolio of highly novel opioid pain products with BupiZenge,” said Dr. Lynn Kirkpatrick, CEO of Ensysce. “Joining forces strengthens the opportunity to accelerate the development and delivery of this transformative therapy while working to gain regulatory approval and launch in the United States. Together, we aim to make a meaningful impact in the field of pain management and oncology to improve patients’ quality of life.”
Ensysce Biosciences Company Contact:
Lynn Kirkpatrick, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
+1 (858) 263-4196
Ensysce Biosciences Investor Relations Contact:
Shannon Devine
MZ North America
Main: +1 (203) 741-8811
ENSC@mzgroup.us
OncoZenge AB Contact:
Stian Kildal
Chief Executive Officer
+46 76 115 3797
stian.kildal@oncozenge.se
SOURCE: Ensysce Biosciences Inc. and OncoZenge AB
Certified Adviser
OncoZenge's Certified Adviser is Erik Penser Bank AB, Box 7405, 103 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46-084638000, e-mail: certifiedadviser@penser.se.
About this information
OncoZenge publishes this information in accordance with the EU Market Abuse Regulation (MAR). The information was submitted for publication on 28 November 2023 at 14:15 CEST through the contact persons above.
About Ensysce Biosciences
Ensysce Biosciences is a clinical-stage company using its proprietary technology platforms to develop safer prescription drugs. Leveraging its Trypsin-Activated Abuse Protection (TAAPTM) and Multi-Pill Abuse Resistance (MPAR®) platforms, the Company is developing unique, tamper-proof treatment options for pain that minimize the risk of both drug abuse and overdose. Ensysce's products are anticipated to provide safer options to treat patients suffering from severe pain and assist in preventing deaths caused by medication abuse. The platforms are covered by an extensive worldwide intellectual property portfolio for a wide array of prescription drug compositions. For more information, please visit www.ensysce.com.
About OncoZenge AB
OncoZenge develops a novel, effective, safe and well-tolerated treatment for oral pain in conditions where currently available treatment options either do not achieve sufficient pain relief or are associated with significant side effects. BupiZenge™ is a new oral lozenge formulation of bupivacaine, an anaesthetic with decades of clinical experience. OncoZenge's lead indication is oral pain due to an inflammatory condition called oral mucositis that affects millions of patients receiving cancer treatment. Oral mucositis causes profound physical and psychological suffering and is a large unmet medical need for an effective, opioid-sparing treatment option. BupiZenge™ has shown significantly better pain relief compared to standard of care in this indication in a Phase 2 trial. OncoZenge has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, and its share is publicly traded on Nasdaq First North Growth Market under the ticker ONCOZ.
