Dr. Ottavio Vitolo Appointed Executive Clinical Advisor at Relmada Therapeutics

NEW YORK, June 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Relmada Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: RLMD), a clinical-stage company developing novel therapies for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, today announced that Dr. Ottavio Vitolo has been appointed executive clinical advisor to the company.  In this role, Dr. Vitolo will guide the clinical development program and preclinical research, including trial design and execution for dextromethadone (REL 1017), a novel, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist being developed as rapidly acting oral agent for the treatment of depression and potentially other CNS indications. 

"As we advance our program for REL 1017 to later stage development, Dr. Vitolo's contribution will play a critical role in our expanding needs in clinical trial execution and regulatory review," said Sergio Traversa, chief executive officer of Relmada.  "His outstanding experience will be a vital resource for our team in the months ahead."

Dr. Vitolo is a neuropsychiatrist and researcher with extensive pre-clinical and clinical research experience in both academic and industry settings.  Previously has held positions of increasing responsibility at Pfizer, including senior medical director and head of neuromuscular clinical research as well as head of implementation for rare neuromuscular disease programs targeting treatments for diseases including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Huntington's disease and schizophrenia.  He was also formerly associate medical director of discovery research at Shire Human Genetic Therapies.  He is currently assistant psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and vice president for clinical development at Homology Medicines, Inc., a private biotechnology company focused on gene therapy and gene editing for rare diseases. 

"I am very pleased to be supporting Relmada at an especially exciting time in the development program for dextromethadone," said Dr. Vitolo, adding "The availability of a new therapy that offers the significant benefits of ketamine with an improved safety profile has the potential to represent an historic advance in treatment of depression and other neurological disorders in the years ahead."

About dextromethadone (d-methadone, REL 1017)

Working through the same brain mechanisms as ketamine but potentially lacking its adverse side effects, Relmada's dextromethadone is being developed as a rapidly acting oral agent for the treatment of depression and potentially some other CNS pathological conditions.  In April 2017, the FDA granted Fast Track designation for dextromethadone for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder.

About Relmada Therapeutics, Inc.

Relmada Therapeutics is a clinical-stage, publicly traded biotechnology company developing novel versions of proven drug products together with new chemical entities that potentially address areas of high unmet medical need in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. The Company has a diversified portfolio of four products at various stages of development, including d-Methadone (dextromethadone, REL-1017), an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist for depression and neuropathic pain; LevoCap ER (REL-1015), an abuse resistant, sustained release dosage form of the opioid analgesic levorphanol; oral buprenorphine (BuTab, REL-1028), an oral dosage form of the opioid analgesic buprenorphine; and topical mepivacaine (MepiGel, REL-1021), an orphan drug designated topical formulation of the local anesthetic mepivacaine. For more information, please visit Relmada's website at: www.relmada.com. 

Forward-Looking Statements

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf. We may from time to time make written or oral statements in this letter, the proxy statements filed with the SEC communications to stockholders and press releases which constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations, estimates, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events and conditions and may discuss, among other things, anticipated future performance, expected product development, product potential, future business plans and costs. Any statement that is not historical in nature is a forward-looking statement and may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "will," "will likely result," "will continue," "plans to" and similar expressions. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those projected. Relmada undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers are cautioned that it is not possible to predict or identify all of the risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect future results and that the risks described herein should not be considered to be a complete list.

Contact

Media Contact: 
Bill Berry 
Berry & Company Public Relations 
Tel: 212-253-8881 
bberry@berrypr.com 

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SOURCE Relmada Therapeutics, Inc.