Torrance Calif., November 11, 2021 - Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. (OTCQX: EMMA) a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company and leader in the treatment of sickle cell disease, today announced a partnership with UpScript IP Holdings, LLC. (UpScript), to offer telehealth solutions to sickle cell disease patients, expanding access to Endari®, Emmaus’ prescription L-glutamine oral powder for the treatment of sickle cell disease.
The telehealth partnership with UpScript will allow patients to see a doctor without leaving home, thereby eliminating the risk of infection that can occur with hospital visits. Additional benefits to patients include the ability to receive same-day physician authorization and prescription for Endari and to have the prescription delivered directly to their homes within just a few days.
“This partnership with UpScript, a proven, direct-to-consumer telehealth platform, provides us with another key avenue through which we can meaningfully improve sickle cell patient’s access to Endari,” stated Yutaka Niihara, M.D., M.P.H., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emmaus. “Indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adult and pediatric patients five years of age and older, Endari is recognized as an important tool in the management of this debilitating disease. It is convenient and requires no preliminary or follow up blood work monitoring. Endari is well-tolerated and can easily be consumed with water, juice or other liquids. We are proud to partner with UpScript and believe Endari has the potential to become the first choice in treating sickle cell disease patients in the telehealth setting.”
George Sekulich, Senior Vice President of Global Commercialization of Emmaus added, “Once deployed, our telehealth services will provide a new, convenient method for patients to receive Endari and improve their overall experience. We plan to launch this critical service over the next few months.”
“UpScript looks forward to initiating this partnership and improving the accessibility of Endari to sufferers of sickle cell disease,” said Peter Ax, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of UpScript. “Our direct-to-consumer platform allows pharmaceutical companies to reach patients in a convenient, safe and effective manner, improving patient's lives by making medications accessible and more affordable.”
About Emmaus Life Sciences
Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company and leader in the treatment of sickle cell disease. The company currently markets U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Endari® (L-glutamine oral powder) indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adults and children 5 years and older. The company is also engaged in the discovery and development of innovative treatments and therapies for certain rare and orphan diseases as well as those affecting larger populations, such as diverticulosis. For more information, please visit www.emmausmedical.com.
About UpScript
UpScript provides a direct-to-consumer telemedicine platform for pharmaceutical companies and consumer products companies allowing for convenient access to high quality health care. In 2002 we were the first company in the US to be licensed to write prescriptions on the internet through an online physician consultation. Since then we’ve treated more than a million consumers in all fifty states. Learn more at www.UpScriptHealth.com.
About Endari® (prescription grade L-glutamine oral powder)
Endari®, Emmaus’ prescription grade L-glutamine oral powder, was approved by the FDA in July 2017 for treating sickle cell disease in adult and pediatric patients five years of age and older. Sales of Endari® began in the United States in 2018.
Indication
Endari® is indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adult and pediatric patients five years of age and older.
Important Safety Information
The most common adverse reactions (incidence >10 percent) in clinical studies were constipation, nausea, headache, abdominal pain, cough, pain in extremities, back pain, and chest pain.
Adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation included one case each of hypersplenism, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, burning sensation, and hot flash.
The safety and efficacy of Endari in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease younger than five years of age has not been established.
For more information, please see full Prescribing Information of Endari at: www.ENDARIrx.co/PI.
About Sickle Cell Disease
There are approximately 100,000 people living with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the United States and millions more globally. The sickle gene is found in every ethnic group, not just among those of African descent; and in the United States an estimated 1-in-365 African Americans and 1-in-16,300 Hispanic Americans are born with SCD.1 The genetic mutation responsible for SCD causes an individual’s red blood cells to distort into a “C” or a sickle shape, reducing their ability to transport oxygen throughout the body. These sickled red blood cells break down rapidly, become very sticky, and develop a propensity to clump together, which causes them to become stuck and cause damage within blood vessels. The result is reduced blood flow to distal organs, which leads to physical symptoms of incapacitating pain, tissue and organ damage, and early death.2
1Source: Data & Statistics on Sickle Cell Disease – National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, December 2020.
2Source: Committee on Addressing Sickle Cell Disease – A Strategic Plan and Blueprint for Action -- National Academy of Sciences Press, 2020.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements regarding possible increased access to Endari available through telemedicine. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which change over time, including risks inherent in the regulatory approval process and other factors previously disclosed in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on August 10, 2021 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and actual results may differ materially. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Emmaus assumes no duty to update them, except as may be required by law.
Company Contact:
Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc.
Willis Lee
Chief Operating Officer
(310) 214-0065, Ext. 1130
Investor Relations Contact:
Rx Communications Group
Michael Miller
(917)-633-6086