TORONTO, CANADA, 22 JULY 2021 – Awakn Life Sciences Corp. (NEO: AWKN) (Awakn), a biotechnology company with clinical operations developing and delivering medicines to better treat Addiction, is delighted to announce today that Professor Barbara Mason has joined as an advisor on Awakn’s Clinical Advisory Board.

The board, which is chaired by Prof. David Nutt is focused on bringing new therapeutic paradigms to market as quickly as possible. Prof. Mason’s experience in the translational medicine and treatment development of alcohol use disorder is world class. 

Prof. Mason will join the Clinical Advisory Board which, Prof. David Nutt, Dr. Ben Sessa, Prof. Celia Morgan, Ann Mithoefer, Dr. Michael Mithoefer and Prof. Matt Johnson all currently sit on.

Professor Nutt commented; Professor Mason is another world-leading addition to an already stellar scientific advisory board. The experience and knowledge of our team is truly outstanding, and this will only strengthen us further. We thoroughly look forward to Barbara joining and having the impact we know she will.

Prof. Mason’s Biography

Barbara J. Mason, Ph.D. is Director of the Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Director of the Laboratory of Clinical Psychopharmacology, and Pearson Family Professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA. Dr. Mason’s work in medication development for the treatment of substance use disorder has been recognized with the Smithers Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Society of Addiction Medicine, a MERIT Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Dean’s Senior Clinical Research Award from the University of Miami School of Medicine, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Teacher-Scientist Award from Weill Cornell University Medical College. 

Prof. Mason conducted the seminal studies identifying nalmefene as having therapeutic potential for alcohol dependence; nalmefene (Selincro) has recently received regulatory approval for the treatment of alcohol dependence in the European Union and United Kingdom. Prof. Mason also served as overall Principal Investigator for the US 21-center trial of acamprosate (Campral) for the treatment of alcohol dependence which was conducted in support of FDA approval. Prof. Mason has served on the National Advisory Councils of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). She has served as a guest expert for the U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and as a reviewer of research grants for NIH and the Medical Research Council (MRC) of the UK. 

Prof. Mason is an elected Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and has served as field editor for Neuropsychopharmacology, and as a member of multiple editorial boards, including Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, Journal of Substance Abuse, and Journal of Addiction Medicine. 

Prof. Mason holds the Pearson Family Chair, an endowed professorship in alcohol and addiction research at The Scripps Research Institute and is currently directing a program of NIH-funded research that includes human laboratory studies and clinical trials to evaluate the therapeutic potential of novel medications for substance use disorders.

About Awakn Life Sciences Corp.

Awakn Life Sciences is a biotechnology company with clinical operations, researching, developing, and delivering medicine to better treat Addiction. Awakn’s team consists of world leading chemists, scientists, psychiatrists, and psychologists who are developing and advancing the next generation of psychedelic drugs, therapies, and enabling technologies to treat Addiction. Awakn will also deliver evidence backed therapies for Addiction in clinics in the UK and Europe and through licencing partnerships globally. 

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Notice Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements reflect current expectations or beliefs regarding future events or the Company’s future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "continues", "forecasts", "projects", "predicts", "intends", "anticipates", "targets" or "believes", or variations of, or the negatives of, such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, including statements relating to the proposed NEO listing, and the business of the Company. All forward-looking statements, including those herein are qualified by this cautionary statement.

Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the statements. There are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking information. These include: whether conditions to the listing on NEO will be satisfied; the business plans and strategies of the Company, the ability of the Company to comply with all applicable governmental regulations in a highly regulated business; the inherent risks in investing in target companies or projects which have limited or no operating history and are engaged in activities currently considered illegal in some jurisdictions; changes in laws; limited operating history; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; inconsistent public opinion and perception regarding the medical-use of psychedelic drugs; and regulatory or political change. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date or dates specified in such statements.

Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For more information on the Company, investors are encouraged to review the Company’s public filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward- looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities in the United States. The Company’s and Awakn’s securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Investor Enquiries:
KCSA Strategic Communications 
Valter Pinto / Tim Regan 
Phone: +1 (212) 896-1254
Awakn@KCSA.com

Media Enquiries:
America and Canada: KCSA Strategic Communications  
Anne Donohoe 
Adonohoe@KCSA.com

Rest of World: ROAD Communications 
Paul Jarman / Anna Ramsey
Awakn@roadcommunications.co.uk