Nirvana Life Sciences

Overview

Opioids help people find relief from pain, whether caused by surgery or from a chronic condition, but they have the potential to be abused or lead to dangerous illicit drugs. This has created a crisis that has a significant impact on our global society. A recent 500-page US congressional report estimated that opioid-related deaths now cost US$1 trillion annually, roughly 4.3 percent of the country’s GDP. A complementary report from the U.S. Center for Disease Prevention includes nonfatal injuries and estimates the cost to be US$4.2 trillion. The World Health Organization estimates 500,000 people die every year due to drug overdose, and 70 percent of those deaths are caused by opioids.

Treatment for opioid addiction typically consists of detoxification, psychotherapy and replacing the problematic opioid with a weaker type of opioid, such as methadone or buprenorphine. While this regimen may help some users recover, one study found that 91 percent of addicts will relapse after treatment. More effective treatments are necessary to truly combat the opioid crisis.

Along with showing potential for treating alcohol use disorder and even depression, psychedelics have emerged as a promising treatment for opioid addiction.. Ketamine, known for its role in anesthesia, may be an effective treatment for alcohol use disorder. Psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, shows promise for treating depression. Ibogaine, which is found primarily in the roots of the Iboga plant, may help opioid addicts recover from their addiction and provide a non-opioid replacement for pain relief. Although they are showing promise, each psychedelic needs further research and development to become a truly therapeutic medication that can be legally used in treatment.

The company has targeted two products for its first development phase. One product will focus on transitioning from opioids to non-addictive pain relief therapies and ideally prevent relapse. The second product will provide non-addictive pain relief. Nirvana Life Sciences began by acquiring the intellectual property (IP) behind these formulations and has since conducted its own research to advance them.

How is the company doing this legally? The use of psychedelics in standard medicinal therapies is a new frontier, and as such, Nirvana Life Sciences is taking every precaution against legal problems.

Pre-clinical research for its formulations has already begun. This research is being undertaken at the University of Camerino in Italy, which was granted special permission from the Italian government to work with psilocybin-based compounds.

Nirvana Life Sciences is led by visionaries and doctors working together to fully develop these potentially revolutionary medications. Bruce Clark, CEO, is motivated to find new solutions to complex societal issues and has 30 years of experience managing innovative companies. Dr. Sazzad Hossain, CSO, has served on leading Canadian bio-pharmaceutical companies and is considered a drug discovery leader. Robert August, head of innovation, is an academically trained chemist who is respected in the psychedelic community and is a strong advocate for ending prohibition.

Annie Storey, CFO, has over 20 years of experience in accounting and management, including working with foreign and domestic companies. The company has attracted an impressive team of researchers including Dr. Massimo Nabissi and Dr. Naseem Gaur.

Company Highlights

• Nirvana Life Sciences is an innovative research and development company focused on novel formulations for opioid addiction and pain management using psychedelic compounds.
• Unlike some of its competitors, the company is exclusively focused on products, rather than wellness retreats or psychotherapy programs.
• Nirvana Life Sciences’ first phase of development is targeting two products: one to aid in opioid addiction recovery; and the other is targeting non-addictive pain management.
• Intellectual property has been purchased from researchers who have extensively studied the effects of psychedelic compounds for medicinal purposes.
• The company is taking every precaution to operate legally and protect against potential criminal elements that may target its facilities.
• A strong team of doctors and visionaries lead the company, each bringing their specialty to the company to fully develop its products

Key Products

Medication for Opioid Addiction

The company has formulated a product that assists in the transition from opioids to non-addictive pain relief. Much of Nirvana Life Sciences’ focus is on developing and refining this product, as it paves the way for its second product which can serve as a standalone product for those addicted to opioids to return to an opioid-free life.

Project Highlights:

• Formulated to Prevent Abuse: The active ingredient can only be released when taken orally, making IV or insufflation ineffective as the active ingredient will not be released.
• Prioritizing Natural Materials Over Synthetic Replacements: Most competitors aim to develop synthetic psychedelics, whereas Nirvana Life Sciences is focused on perfecting a scalable process that extracts the desired compounds from natural sources, such as mushrooms. The company may still use synthetic alternatives if required.
• Exclusive License to Proprietary Extraction Technology: The company has secured a license that gives it exclusive access to an extraction technology, known as PureAI Distillation, that will help scale the production of its medications.

Medication for Non-Addictive Pain Management

Many people who develop opioid addiction still need pain management therapies. The company’s second product aims to provide pain relief without creating a new addiction. Psychedelic compounds have inherent pain relief properties that have been isolated for use as the active ingredient in this product.

Project Highlights:

• Only Effective Orally: Just like the addiction treatment product, the company’s pain management medication will only be effective when taken orally.
• Synthetic Extraction May Prove Viable: The contracted research facility in New Delhi has undertaken a novel process for producing synthetic psilocybin materials at scale.

Management Team

Bruce Clark - Chief Executive Officer

Bruce Clark leads the Nirvana team, seeking new solutions to one of our society’s most confounding issues. He sees great potential in the opportunities for the development of new approaches to a complex problem that is both a public health and economic issue for our communities. Clark is a proven innovator who brings 30 years of management experience across a variety of industries, including energy, food and beverage manufacturing and life science. He possesses broad experience in product development, manufacturing and product distribution and a clear understanding of the regulatory process. He has a deep understanding of the public policy issues at play and the importance of collaboration with all levels of government and health professionals through the development process.

Annie Storey - Chief Financial Officer

Annie Storey, a director of the company since 2017, brings over 25 years of experience in accounting, auditing, financial reporting and corporate services for Canadian and US public companies in the mining, entertainment and biotechnology sectors. She has a keen interest in the development of new approaches to manage addictions and currently serves as a director of the advocacy group Moms Stop the Harm.

Dr. Sazzad Hossain - Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Sazzad Hossain is the former chief scientific officer of InMed Pharmaceuticals, a leading public Canadian bio-pharmaceutical company. Previously, he worked as a senior scientist at the Biotechnology Research Institute of the National Research Council Canada. Hossain is a drug discovery leader with over 15 years of biotech and pharmaceutical experience with small molecules and biologics in multiple disease indications. He has experience in accelerated drug discovery and commercialization processes with combined experience in preclinical in vivo pharmacology, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, safety and toxicology. He has led teams in the strategic design of new natural health products and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue by leading the development of multiple successful compounds. Hossain holds a PhD in biology and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Molecular Medicines and Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia.

Robert August - Head of Innovation

Robert August holds a master of science degree and is an academically trained medicinal chemist with a focus on ergolines, phenethylamines and tryptamines. August began his academic career at Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland. During his undergraduate years, he worked as an analytical chemist for Martel Laboratories where he received his state analytical certifications for increased intracranial pressure, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry operations.

While pursuing a postgraduate degree in medicinal chemistry at Johns Hopkins University, he turned his focus toward the synthesis of psychoactive and psychedelic compounds, namely ergolines such as LSD and phenethylamines like MDMA and 2CB. Around this time, August began to work as a research chemist and, eventually, began to actively pursue working partnerships with other chemists who were researching psychedelic compounds, like Dr. David E. Nichols and Nick Sand, with whom August worked briefly in Vancouver, BC. After earning a reputation as a skilled chemist, he was invited to work alongside Ben Alkire at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, where he went on to co-found Berkeley-Clearlight Research (BCRG). While forming BCRG, August received unlimited access to the D.E. Nichols Archive at Purdue University and the vast array of synthesis notes created by Dr. Oberlender during his time as a chemist for the Nichols’ team. In the years that followed, August synthesized numerous novel compounds and research chemicals, becoming the first person to synthesize 3,4-MDMA Monohydrate HCl as a crystalline solid and as a beta ketone. August is a highly respected member of the psychedelic community and an advocate for ending prohibition.

Michael McCune - Vice-President Operations

Michael McCune is a seasoned entrepreneur and innovator in the extraction space. Since 2013, he has applied his passion for science to developing novel processes for producing active pharmaceutical ingredients for the cannabis industry. He has built a specialty for at-scale extraction of a wide variety of materials. McCune led the development of a leading-edge distillation system that offers significant operational advantages and automation. He has overseen the development, trials and contract manufacture of this system. McCune is recognized as a leader in these technologies and has co-authored several patents. He maintains a global network and has presented at numerous conferences on the topics of extraction and cannabis technologies.

Jakson Inwentash - Director

Jakson Inwentash is a director and VP of investments at ThreeD Capital, where he focuses on identifying, researching and meeting with early-stage companies in various disruptive industries as investment targets. He is also a registered dealer representative and has a successful track record of raising capital in industries such as mining, battery recycling, organic food, high-performance computing, biotechnology and blockchain.

Inwentash has significant capital markets experience; he is an advisor to and a board member of several private and publicly listed companies. Inwentash holds a BBA from the University of Miami and, in 2020, completed his certified financial analyst designation.

Sheldon Inwentash - Director

Sheldon Inwentash is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of ThreeD Capital Inc. A veteran entrepreneur, Inwentash has more than 30 years of successful investing experience and an extensive track record of achieving significant ROI for his investors and profitability for the companies in which he invests. He founded ThreeD Capital to provide unique investment opportunities in several areas, specifically early stages of small cap stock, resource and disruptive technologies. Well-regarded in the investment industry, Inwentash has earned a reputation for creating significant shareholder value through early investments, having financed hundreds of public and private start-up companies, many of which went on to have successful exits. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of commerce and, later, was awarded an honorary doctor of law from the university for his leadership as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and for his dedication to youth.