Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 28, 2024) - Awakn Life Sciences Corp. (CSE: AWKN) (OTCQB: AWKNF), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics for substance use and mental health disorders, is pleased to provide an update on the progress of its pre-clinical program being executed as part of a commercial collaboration with Graft Polymer (UK) Plc (LSE: GPL) ("Graft Polymer"), an innovative healthcare industry services company.

The collaboration focuses on developing a new class of therapeutics for the potential treatment of trauma-related mental health disorders, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ("PTSD"), which affects approximately 13 million adults in the U.S. and 20 million collectively in the US and other key international markets.

Recent progress includes:

• Lead chemical series identified: Two chemical series have been identified as co-leads for further development. These series represent a promising new class of compounds with the potential to improve treatment options for trauma-related mental health disorders such as PTSD. The selection of these co-lead candidates is a pivotal step in the drug development process.

• Synthesis pathways defined: The synthesis pathways for these compounds successfully established. This achievement is crucial, as it enables efficient and scalable production of the drug candidates, which will be essential as the collaboration moves towards more advanced pharmacological testing.

• Charnwood Discovery selected as synthesis partner: Awakn has selected Charnwood Discovery, a respected UK-based provider of drug discovery services, as its synthesis partner. The selection of Charnwood Discovery, known for its technical expertise, ensures that the synthesis process will be conducted to a high standard.

• New provisional patent filed: On 27 August 2024, Awakn filed a provisional patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office, covering a new class of aminoindane chemical entities and their derivatives. This provisional patent has been incorporated into the scope of the commercial collaboration agreement between the Company and Awakn. This filing strengthens the intellectual property portfolio underpinning the Graft Polymer-Awakn collaboration, further reinforcing the Company's competitive edge in the biopharmaceutical market.

Anthony Tennyson, CEO of Awakn Life Sciences, commented: "We are making great strides in our collaboration with Graft Polymer as we move closer to developing a new class of therapeutics to tackle PTSD and other trauma-related conditions. These advancements represent a major step forward in our mission to deliver more effective solutions for those suffering from mental health disorders."

About Awakn Life Sciences Corp.

Awakn Life Sciences Corp. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics targeting substance use and mental health disorders. Awakn has a near-term focus on AUD , a condition affecting approximately 29 million adults in the US and approximately 40 million in the US and key European markets 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 commercialising our R&D pipeline across multiple channels.

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About Graft Polymer (UK) Plc

Graft Polymer Plc is an innovative healthcare services company dedicated to helping biopharmaceutical companies specializing in central nervous system disorders enhance the effectiveness of their therapeutics.

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