Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 9, 2023) - Awakn Life Sciences Corp. (NEO: AWKN) (OTCQB: AWKNF) (FSE: 954) ("Awakn"), a biotechnology company developing therapeutics to treat addiction with a near-term focus on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), today announced it has initiated a feasibility study of MDMA leveraging Catalent's proprietary Zydis^® ODT fast dissolve technology.

Zydis ODT is a unique, freeze-dried, oral solid dosage form that disperses almost instantly in the mouth, allowing for dosing with no water required. When formulated appropriately, the technology affords the potential for better pre-gastric absorption, a more efficient delivery, rapid onset of effects, an enhanced patient experience and compliance.

The study is focused on establishing the feasibility of using Catalent's Zydis ODT technology for the formulation and delivery of MDMA. A variety of chemical parameters are presently being evaluated to access preliminary formulations and, if proven to be feasible, a viable production formulation will be developed. The ultimate aims of the study are to optimise the delivery of MDMA, to minimise the amount of drug required to deliver efficacy, minimise variability in absorption, and to increase the overall speed of onset.

Due to the faster onset of effects of Zydis ODT technology, there is the possibility to shorten therapy sessions and, through pre-gastric absorption and bypassing of the first-pass metabolism, there is potential to enhance pharmacokinetics.

Shaun McNulty, Awakn's CSO, commented on the news, "Catalent is a world leader in the field of formulation and their Zydis ODT technology is the gold standard for rapid, safe, and consistent delivery of drugs to patients. The Zydis platform offers the potential to minimise both MDMA dose and the duration of therapy sessions. This study has the potential to demonstrate that Zydis ODT technology can provide an ideal MDMA formulation option both for patients and for health care providers."

About Awakn Life Sciences Corp.

Awakn Life Sciences Corp. is a biotechnology company developing therapeutics to treat addiction. Awakn has a near-term focus on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), a condition affecting 285m people globally for which the current standard of care is inadequate. Our goal is to provide breakthrough therapeutics to addiction sufferers in desperate need and our strategy is focused on commercializing our R&D pipeline across multiple channels.

www.AwaknLifeSciences.com | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | www.AwaknClinics.com

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