Sorrento Therapeutics Inc (SRNE)

[dia76ca]

Does Sorrento's additional funding of Aardvark indicate that ARD-301 is looking good to treat fibromyalgia and long term Covid symptoms? If so, this is an impotant investment in two HUGE indications!

SAN DIEGO, Calif., March 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sorrento Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRNE, “Sorrento”) and Scilex Holdings Company (“Scilex”), a majority owned subsidiary of Sorrento, have entered into an exclusive licensing term sheet with Aardvark Therapeutics (“Aardvark”) to acquire Aardvark’s proprietary formulation, Delayed Burst Release Low Dose Naltrexone (DBR-LDN), or ARD-301, for the treatment of chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and chronic post-COVID syndrome (“long haul COVID” or “long COVID”) in multiple Phase 2 programs planned to be initiated this year.

Following execution of the definitive agreement between the parties, Scilex plans to work with Aardvark to initiate a new Phase 2 trial this year for fibromyalgia, which Scilex believes will be an important milestone for treating physicians, and most importantly for the estimated 10 million U.S. adults suffering from this chronic, frequently debilitating central pain condition with limited treatment options.1 Approximately one-third of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia in the U.S. are reported to receive chronic prescription opioids, which is part of the opioid crisis, since opioids are not believed to be an effective solution for chronic central pain.2 ARD-301 is comprised of a non-opioid, non-addictive therapy option that has been shown to have activity for improving a broad array of fibromyalgia symptoms in prior clinical studies with LDN. Currently, there are only three FDA approved pharmacologic treatments for fibromyalgia, but they have demonstrated limited efficacy and burdensome side effects in many patients.