TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. (the “Company,” or “Emmaus”), today announced that Dr. Yutaka Niihara, M.D., M.P.H., founder and CEO of Emmaus, will present results of the Company’s Phase 3 clinical trial of its oral pharmaceutical grade L-glutamine (PGLG) treatment for sickle cell anemia and sickle beta-0 thalassemia, in an oral presentation on Sunday, December 7, 2014 at 4:45 p.m. PST, during the 56th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.  The conference is being held December 6-9, 2014 in San Francisco, CA at the Marriott Marquis.

“We are pleased to be featured at the ASH meeting to present the positive safety and efficacy results of our Phase 3 trial of PGLG in treating sickle cell patients,” said Dr. Niihara. “We believe the results demonstrate a well-tolerated safety profile that has the potential to help adult and pediatric patients who are in need of new therapies to treat this disease.”

Dr. Niihara will present data from the prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multi-center clinical trial that enrolled 230 adult and pediatric patients as young as five years of age, across 31 U.S. sites.  Clinical benefits of the PGLG treatment, as reported in an abstract, include a reduction in the median frequency of sickle cell crisis, a lower median frequency of hospitalizations, a reduction in median cumulative hospital days, and fewer cases of acute chest syndrome, with a well-tolerated safety profile. 

Oral Presentation Details:

When: Sunday, December 7, 2014 at 4:45 p.m. PST

Location: Golden Gate Hall (San Francisco Marriott Marquis)

Session Title:  A Phase 3 Study of L-Glutamine Therapy for Sickle Cell Anemia and Sickle beta-0-Thalassemia

Session Abstract Number: 86

The abstract is available on the ASH website or by visiting https://ash.confex.com/ash/2014/webprogram/Paper70720.html

The Company’s research on sickle cell disease and sickle beta-0 thalassemia was initiated by Dr. Niihara at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. The therapy has Orphan Drug designation in the U.S. and Europe and Fast Track designation from the FDA.

About Emmaus Life Sciences

Emmaus Life Sciences is dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative treatments and therapies for rare diseases.

For more information, please visit www.emmauslifesciences.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the research, development and potential commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. Additional risks and uncertainties are described in reports filed by Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Emmaus is providing this information as of the date of this press release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts:

Media:
Lori Teranishi for Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc.
510-290-6160
[email protected]

Investors:
Matt Sheldon for Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc.
310-279-5975
[email protected]