AELIS FARMA (“AELIS”) announced a strategic collaboration and option-license agreement with INDIVIOR PLC to address the serious consequences of cannabis use disorders (CUD), including cannabis-induced psychosis (CIP). AELIS's AEF0117 is the first drug candidate of a new pharmacological class, the Signaling Specific Inhibitors of the CB1 receptor (CB1-SSi), that AELIS developed over the last seven years. AELIS has built extensive knowledge and intellectual property rights around this new family of inhibitors of the CB1 receptors.

Thanks to a unique mechanism of action, CB1-SSi selectively inhibit a CB1-mediated hyperactive state, thus preserving the normal functioning of the brain and behaviour. Under the terms of the agreement with AELIS, INDIVIOR PLC is being granted an option to an exclusive worldwide license for AEF0117 for the treatment of cannabis-related disorders, and in particular, addiction and psychosis. The collaboration will be coordinated by a joint steering committee comprised of drug development leadership from AELIS and INDIVIOR.

During the option period AELIS will conduct clinical and non-clinical development to ready AEF0117 to enter Phase 3. If INDIVIOR exercises the option, it would then be responsible for all future development, regulatory, commercial and manufacturing costs and activities. AELIS will receive an immediate upfront payment of $30 million. Upon successful phase 2b proof of concept studies for cannabis use disorders, INDIVIOR could exercise the option triggering a $100 million license fee payment.

AELIS is also eligible to receive additional payments for achieving certain further development and regulatory milestones, as well as mid-teens royalties on any net sales. The phase 2b that will be executed during the option period is a multi-center study evaluating the efficacy of AEF0117 as a treatment of CUD, which will be coordinated by Prof. Frances Levin at Columbia University in the U.S. AELIS is now broadening its pipeline with a second compound (AEF0217) at the clinical stage, developed as a treatment for cognitive disorders, and several new compounds generated on its proprietary CB1-targeted drug screening platform.