Department of Defense to Study Seelos Therapeutics’ Ketamine Compound as PTSD Treatment

Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SEEL) has announced that its drug candidate, SLS-002 (intranasal racemic ketamine), has been selected for inclusion in a clinical trial to evaluate treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) in active-duty service members and veterans.

The trial, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Defense Health Agency, is a Phase II randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study that will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of multiple pharmacotherapeutic interventions in PTSD.

Raj Mehra, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Seelos, said, “There remains a significant unmet need for a therapeutic designed to effectively treat PTSD and we unfortunately see too many of our active military and veterans suffer after risking their lives to support and defend our great country.”

Highlights

SLS-002 is intranasal racemic ketamine with two investigational new drug applications for the treatment of Acute Suicidal Ideation and Behavior in Major Depressive Disorder and in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in 2020, about 13 million Americans had PTSD. 5% of the U.S. population suffers from PTSD in any given year.

The U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity develops, delivers, and fields critical drugs, vaccines, biologics, devices, and medical support equipment to protect and preserve the lives of Warfighters across the globe.

Experimental studies suggest ketamine has the potential to be a rapid, effective treatment for refractory depression, suicidality and PTSD.

About Seelos Therapeutics

Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and advancement of novel therapeutics to address unmet medical needs for the benefit of patients with central nervous system (CNS) disorders and other rare diseases. The Company’s robust portfolio includes several late-stage clinical assets targeting indications including Acute Suicidal Ideation and Behavior (ASIB) in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), as well as early-stage programs in Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.