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Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SEEL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapies for central nervous system disorders and rare diseases, announced today that it has been selected as one of 17 companies included in the world's first psychedelic Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) which begins trading today on Canada's NEO exchange under the symbol PSYK .
Seelos' inclusion is based on its lead program SLS-002 (intranasal racemic ketamine), which recently began dosing patients in a registrational Proof of Concept study for Acute Suicidal Ideation and Behavior in patients with Major Depressive Disorder.
The ETF, managed by Canadian financial services company Horizons ETFs Management ( Canada ) Inc. , seeks to replicate, to the extent possible and net of expenses, the performance of a market index that is designed to provide exposure to the performance of a basket of North American publicly-listed life sciences companies having significant business activities in, or significant exposure to, the psychedelics industry. Currently, the ETF seeks to replicate the performance of the North American Psychedelics Index , net of expenses.
About Horizons ETFs Management ( Canada ) Inc.
Horizons ETFs Management ( Canada ) Inc. is an innovative financial services company and offers one of the largest suites of exchange traded funds in Canada . The Horizons ETFs product family includes a broadly diversified range of solutions for investors of all experience levels to meet their investment objectives in a variety of market conditions. Horizons ETFs has over $17 billion of assets under management and 93 ETFs listed on major Canadian stock exchanges.
About SLS-002
SLS-002 is intranasal racemic ketamine with two investigational new drug applications for the treatment of Acute Suicidal Ideation and Behavior in Major Depressive Disorder and in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. SLS-002 was originally derived from a Javelin Pharmaceuticals, Inc./Hospira, Inc. program with 16 clinical studies involving approximately 500 subjects. SLS-002 addresses an unmet need for a therapy to treat suicidality in the U.S. Traditionally, anti-depressants have been used in this setting but many of the existing treatments are known to contribute to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts in some circumstances, and if they are effective, it often takes weeks for the full therapeutic effect to be manifested. The clinical development program for SLS-002 included two parallel healthy volunteer studies (Phase I), followed by registration studies after meeting with the FDA. Based on information gathered from the databases of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, there were more than 1,000,000 visits to emergency rooms for suicide attempts in 2019 in the U.S. alone. Experimental studies suggest ketamine has the potential to be a rapid, effective treatment for refractory depression and suicidality.
Forward Looking Statement
Statements made in this press release, which are not historical in nature, constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, among others, those regarding Seelos' inclusion in Horizons ETFs Management ( Canada ) Inc.'s psychedelic ETF, and the potential for ketamine to be a rapid, effective treatment for refractory depression and suicidality. These statements are based on Seelos' current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks associated to Seelos' business include, but are not limited to, the risk of not successfully executing its preclinical and clinical studies, including the Proof of Concept study of SLS-002, and not gaining marketing approvals for its product candidates, the risk that prior test results may not be replicated in future studies and trials, the risks that clinical study results may not meet any or all endpoints of a clinical study and that any data generated from such studies may not support a regulatory submission or approval, the risks associated with the implementation of a new business strategy, the risks related to raising capital to fund its development plans and ongoing operations, risks related to Seelos' current stock price, risks related to the global impact of COVID-19, as well as other factors expressed in Seelos' periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we do not know whether our expectations will prove correct. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, even if subsequently made available by us on our website or otherwise. We do not undertake any obligation to update, amend or clarify these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
Contact Information
Anthony Marciano
Head of Corporate Communications
Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SEEL)
300 Park Ave., 12th Fl
New York, NY 10022
(646) 293-2136
anthony.marciano@seelostx.com
www.seelostherapeutics.com
https://twitter.com/seelostx
https://www.linkedin.com/company/seelos
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SOURCE Seelos Therapeutics, Inc.
