SciFluor Life Sciences Patented Compound SF0034 Highlighted in Research Published in The Journal of Neuroscience

• The research published by Professor Thanos Tzounopoulos of the University of Pittsburgh and Professor Anastasios V. Tzingounis of the University of Connecticut, along with Drs. Scott Edwards and Takeru Furuya of SciFluor, found that SF0034 is a clinical candidate for treating epilepsy and preventing tinnitus.
• Publication of this seminal paper entitled, “Potent KCNQ2/3-Specific Channel Activator Suppresses In Vivo Epileptic Activity and Prevents the Development of Tinnitus,” illustrates SciFluor’s approach of collaborating with leading academic institutions to advance its drug discovery pipeline.

SciFluor Life Sciences, an emerging clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that creates innovative therapeutics for patients suffering from a variety of diseases, announced that pre-clinical research demonstrating the potential effectiveness of its patented novel compound, SF0034, for treating epilepsy and preventing tinnitus was published in the peer-reviewed publication, The Journal of Neuroscience.

The article entitled, “Potent KCNQ2/3-Specific Channel Activator Suppresses In Vivo Epileptic Activity and Prevents the Development of Tinnitus” was published in the June 10th issue of the Journal, and was authored by Professor Thanos Tzounopoulos, Department of Otolaryngology and Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh and Professor Anastasios V. Tzingounis, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut along with Drs. Scott Edwards and Takeru Furuya of SciFluor.

“Publication in such a highly regarded peer-reviewed journal is significant validation for SciFluor as the company ramps up for clinical testing of SF0034,” said Omar Amirana, MD, SciFluor Chief Executive Officer and Senior Vice President of Allied Minds, parent company of SciFluor.

SciFluor develops differentiated, best-in-class compounds based on fluorine chemistry for the creation of novel therapeutics to treat a variety of diseases, including retinal disease, CNS disorders and inflammatory disease. The company currently holds patents for SF0034 as well as for SF0166, a drug that is designed to be administered topically to treat retinal diseases.

The publication highlights the benefits of SF0034, a potassium channel activator, over retigabine, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug indicated for the treatment of epilepsy. SF0034 was found to have significantly greater potency and selectivity compared to retigabine. The pre-clinical efficacy data from multiple in vivo models of epilepsy and tinnitus described in this publication led the authors to conclude that SF0034 is a valuable clinical candidate for treating epilepsy and preventing tinnitus.

Scott Edwards, Ph.D., Vice President and General Manager of SciFluor, said, “The publication of this article is the culmination of a productive collaboration with Professors Tzounopoulos and Tzingounis that has provided key pharmacological and behavioral data demonstrating SF0034’s potential to become a best-in-class drug for treating epilepsy and tinnitus by selectively activating the neuronal potassium channel, KCNQ2/3.”

Dr. Edwards is the lead on the SF0034 therapeutic program, which is also being evaluated for therapeutic potential for other diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease). Additional university authors on the paper included Bopanna I. Kalappa of the University of Pittsburgh, and Heun Soh and Kevin M. Duignan of the University of Connecticut.

SciFluor is a subsidiary of Allied Minds (LSE: ALM). More information about the company can be found at www.scifluor.com.

About SciFluor Life SciencesSciFluor Life Sciences is a drug discovery company applying expertise in fluorine chemistry to create a broad portfolio of differentiated best-in-class therapeutics to treat various diseases. The company creates patentable new chemical entities (NCEs) directed towards precedented biological targets. SciFluor strategically incorporates fluorine or fluorine-containing groups to design drugs with improved pharmacological profiles that provide important benefits over existing therapies such as improved safety, efficacy, dosing, and patient compliance. This capital-efficient and de-risked drug discovery approach has resulted in the generation of a proprietary pipeline of novel and differentiated small molecule drugs across a diverse range of therapeutic categories and disease areas, including retinal disease, CNS disorders, pain, pulmonary and inflammatory disease. More information about SciFluor can be found at www.scifluor.com.

About Allied MindsAllied Minds (LSE: ALM) is an innovative U.S. science and technology development and commercialization company. Operating since 2006, Allied Minds forms, funds, manages and builds products and businesses based on innovative technologies developed at leading U.S. universities and federal research institutions. Allied Minds serves as a diversified holding company that supports its businesses and product development with capital, central management and shared services. More information about the Boston-based company can be found at www.alliedminds.com.

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ArcPoint Strategic CommunicationsChristine Dunn, 617-484-1660, [e-mail]