Revive Provides Update on its Clinical Development Plan for Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Autoimmune Hepatitis

TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Revive Therapeutics Ltd. (“Revive” or the “Company”), a company focused on the research, development and commercialization of novel cannabinoid-based and life sciences products, is pleased to provide an update on the Company’s clinical development plan for Cannabidiol (“CBD”) in the treatment of Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH).

Revive is currently in the process of preparing its Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application for submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for CBD in the treatment of AIH.  The Company plans to submit the IND within ninety days with the objective to proceed with a proposed Phase 1/2a clinical study to determine the recommended dose of CBD for future clinical studies of AIH, to assess its safety, efficacy and clinical benefit, as well as to support a New Drug Application (“NDA”) for FDA approval.  The Company aims to initiate a clinical study by the end of Q2 or early Q3-2020.

“Revive is focused on advancing its cannabinoid-based product pipeline towards human clinical studies with our lead program being CBD in the treatment of AIH, a rare liver disease that represents a large market opportunity globally,” said Michael Frank, Chief Executive Officer of Revive.  “Our objective in proceeding with a first-in-kind human clinical trial under a U.S. IND will further support our cannabinoid pharmaceutical initiatives by expanding into other rare diseases that Revive is pursuing such as the use of CBD in the prevention of ischemia and reperfusion injury (“IRI”) resulting from solid organ transplantation, which includes liver, kidney, heart and lung.  The Company has received FDA orphan drug designation for CBD in both AIH and IRI.”

Revive’s program is to meet a clear unmet medical need in patients with AIH.  AIH is a rare inflammatory condition of the liver that can affect all ages and gender across the world.  If not treated properly, may cause liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, liver failure requiring a liver transplant, and even death.  The prevalence of AIH is estimated at 75,000 patients in the U.S.  The current standard of care for AIH is the use of steroids alone or steroids combined with azathioprine.  It has been noted in medical literature that the current standard of care when used in a certain period of time has caused severe treatment-related side effects in 13%, treatment failure in 9%, incomplete response in 13%, and relapse after drug withdrawal up to 86% of patients with AIH (Source: World J Gastroenterol. 2010 Feb 28; 16(8): 934–947).  Therefore, given the unwanted outcomes associated with a steroid-based therapy, an alternative steroid-free treatment option such as CBD, with its known safety profile, may provide a potential solution for an improved treatment strategy for those patients unresponsive to, intolerant of, or non-adherent with a steroid-based therapy for AIH.