Awakn Life Sciences - Revolutionary Treatments For Addiction

Awakn Life Sciences

Revolutionary treatments
for addiction.

Awakn Life Sciences

Revolutionary treatments
for addiction

About Awakn

Awakn Life Sciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics to treat addiction, with a near-term focus on Alcohol Use Disorder.

We are focused on treating addiction because it is a significant unmet medical need driven by high prevalence rates and high relapse rates.

Drugs and therapies used in combination

Addiction is one of the world’s biggest unmet medical needs. Substance and behavioural addictions affect over 1.3¹ billion people worldwide. Yet all current treatments have high failure rates.

Awakn is developing a better solution to treat addiction: psychedelic therapeutics – drugs and therapies used in combination. We are a biotech company researching, developing and commercializing these therapeutics.

Through clinical trials, our team has shown that this approach has the potential to be more effective than any addiction treatment currently available. We now aspire to become the market leader in effective addiction treatment, meeting a vast global need that is failed by current approaches.

Investment Highlights

Significant market opportunity and proven science that can provide effective therapy to patients in desperate need.

Large Addressable Market

49 million people are affected by AUD in US and key international markets
Global AUD treatment market is valued at US $25bn per annum
75% treatment failure or relapse rates

Highly Experienced Team

Leading addiction experts in Prof. David Nutt and Prof. Celia Morgan
Track record of successful research, development and commercialization
Supportive ‘blue chip’ investor base

De-risked Pipeline

Re-purposing approach reduces R&D risks and costs
Partnership with UK Dept. of Health for AWKN-P001 reduces R&D costs and time to market
AWKN-P001 Phase IIb complete, safety and efficacy proven, progressing into Phase III
(S)-ketamine and MDMA/ Zydis® programs provides additional opportunities

Commercialization Advantages

Re-purposing approach and ILAP designation for AWKN-P001 reduces commercialization risk
Partnership with UK Dept of Health increases probability of adoption at scale in the UK healthcare system
Efficient treatment protocol and standardization of psycho-social support increases probability of acceptance by healthcare services industry

Therapeutic Development Pipeline

Addiction: The other pandemic

Between 15-20% of adults suffer from substance addictions¹, and many others from behavioural addictions.

Yet available treatments are poor. Just 16% of Alcohol Use Disorder sufferers seek treatment, and up to 75%² of those people relapse within 12 months. Behavioural addictions are so poorly served there is no good data available on either treatment or success rates.

Despite these high failure rates, $17bn³ per year (and rising) is spent by on private addiction treatment. The individuals footing this bill have a right to expect more.

Our unique evidence-based approach

Awakn is developing a revolutionary new approach for treating substance and behavioural addictions.

Based on new research, Awakn’s drugs uniquely target the brain circuits that drive addiction, through multiple receptors rather than the single drug receptors targeted by existing treatments. These circuits control the behavioural drivers of addiction. By focusing on circuit mechanisms rather than isolated receptors, our treatments have the potential to be effective in the treatment of both substance and behavioural addictions.

This brain circuit-disruption allows the individual to engage with Awakn’s psychotherapeutic process in unique ways that enable clients to escape repetitive addictive behaviours and thoughts; and make long lasting positive changes.

Awakn’s team has successfully conducted the world’s only clinical trials of ketamine and MDMA in a therapeutic setting as treatments for alcohol use disorder. We are now conducting trials for other addictions, including gambling, Binge Eating Disorder, Internet Gaming Disorder and Compulsive Sexual Bahavior and building a pipeline of patentable psychedelic therapeutics that will create even more effective medicines in future.

Together, this gives us a world-beating proposition for tackling addiction.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK »

Backed by the world’s leading experts