Kannalife Bolsters its Global Intellectual Property Portfolio with New Chinese-Issued Patent

DOYLESTOWN, Pa., Feb. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kannalife, Inc. (“Kannalife” or the “Company”) (OTCQB: KLFE), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the research and development of cannabinoid therapeutics, announced today that China has issued the Company, Chinese Patent CN106456573B (the “Patent”) specific to “Novel Functionalized 1,3-Benzene Diols and their Method of Use for the Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy,” which further bolsters the Company’s global patent portfolio of cannabidiol (CBD)-like molecules. The Company anticipates receipt of patent grants from the EU and Australia sometime during the first and second quarters of 2020.

Kannalife’s intellectual property estate of CBD-like molecules (“KLS Family”), which is led by KLS-13019, are capable of acting as neuroprotective agents and have the potential to treat a range of diseases, including nervous system, oxidative stress and neurodegenerative disorders. Under the Patent, Kannalife will further explore the application and potential of new molecular entities (NMEs) across epilepsy, neuropathic pain, traumatic head injury, stroke, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), Post Cardiac Arrest Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, Epileptic Encephalopathy, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

“Kannalife’s lead candidate, KLS-13019, provides an alternative to cannabidiol throughout major pharmaceutical markets with its proprietary molecule that has improved potency, selectivity, safety, bioavailability, and efficacy,” stated William Kinney, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Kannalife.

The issued Patent is part of the dramatically increasing intellectual property estate of the global WIPO/PCT Patent WO2015/106108A2 titled "Novel Functionalized 1,3-Benzene Diols and their Method of Use for the Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy” (the “PCT Patent”). Since the 2015 filing of the initial PCT Patent, the Company has received patent approval across three significant global markets:

• U.S. Patent 9,611,213 "Novel Functionalized 1,3-Benzene Diols and their Method of Use for the Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy"
• U.S. Patent 10,004,722 “Method for treating hepatic encephalopathy or a disease associated with free radical mediate stress and oxidative stress with novel functionalized 1,3-benzene diols”
• Japanese Patent JP6486950B2 "Novel Functionalized 1,3-Benzene Diols and their Method of Use for the Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy," and
• Russian Patent RU2676475C2 “Novel Functionalized 1,3-Benzene Diols and their Method of Use for the Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy.”

“China is an increasingly open marketplace whose National Medical Products Administration recognizes and supports innovative science and medical approaches to expand the treatment options available to patients,” said Dean Petkanas, CEO of Kannalife. “This has further fueled the potential of the Chinese pharmaceutical industry, which rapidly grew to become the world's second-biggest drug market in 2016 and registered sales of $137 billion in 2018. Looking forward, China is projected to reach half the size of America's market by 2030 versus the current 25 percent comparison.^1”

Currently, Kannalife’s leading drug candidate KLS-13019, a CBD-like molecule, is being investigated in preclinical studies for the potential treatment of neuropathic pain. Through extensive research and testing, Kannalife has identified KLS-13019 as a potent, non-opioid alternative to the frontline treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

Additionally, Kannalife’s application for patent protection of its intellectual property has been accepted in the European Union (EU) and Australia. The Company is awaiting notice from Canada, Brazil and India for notice of acceptance.

About KLS-13019
KLS-13019 is Kannalife’s leading proprietary investigational CBD-like product for the potential treatment of a range of neurodegenerative and neuropathic pain disorders, beginning with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). KLS-13019 has not been reviewed or approved for patient use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other healthcare authority in the world. It’s safety and efficacy have not been confirmed by FDA-approved research.

About Kannalife, Inc.
Kannalife, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of proprietary and patented cannabidiol (CBD) and CBD-like molecules for patients suffering from unmet medical needs of neurodegenerative disorders - including chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a chronic neuropathy caused by toxic chemotherapeutic agents; hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a neurotoxic brain-liver disorder caused by excessive concentrations of ammonia and ethanol in the brain; mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), a disorder associated with single and repetitive impact injuries; and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease associated with highly repetitive impact injuries in professional and amateur sports.

The Company's KLS Family of proprietary molecules focuses on treating oxidative stress-related diseases such as HE, chronic pain from neuropathies like CIPN, and neurodegenerative diseases like CTE. Kannalife conducts its research and development efforts at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County in Doylestown, PA.

For more information about Kannalife, Inc., visit www.kannalife.com and visit the Company’s Twitter page at @Kannalife.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This press release contains statements about expected future events, the Company’s business plan, plan of operations, the viability of the Company’s drug candidates, and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements, by definition, involve risks and uncertainties. The Company does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act.

References
1. The Economist. China’s Pharmaceutical Industry is Growing Up. Accessed at
https://www.economist.com/business/2019/09/28/chinas-pharmaceuticals-industry-is-growing-up
2. Export.gov. Russia Country Commercial Guide; Pharmaceuticals. Accessed at
https://www.export.gov/article?id=Russia-Pharmaceuticals
3. India Brand Equity Foundation. India Pharmaceutical Industry. Accessed at
https://www.ibef.org/industry/pharmaceutical-india.aspx
4.nAustralian Institute of Health and Welfare. International Health data comparisons, 2018. Accessed at
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/international-comparisons/international-health-data-comparisons-2018/contents/pharmaceutical-market
5. Market Watch.Global Pharmaceutical Sales to Reach $1567.80 billion Despite Increasing Drug Price Controls, Finds New Market Research Report. Accessed at
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/global-pharmaceutical-sales-to-reach-156780-billion-despite-increasing-drug-price-controls-finds-new-market-research-report-2019-03-19
6. World Atlas. Biggest Pharmaceutical Markets In The World By Country. Accessed at
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-the-biggest-global-pharmaceutical-markets-in-the-world.html

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