Emmaus Life Sciences, a Leader in Sickle Cell Disease Treatment, to Sponsor the 46th Annual National Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Convention in Baltimore

TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Emmaus Life Sciences (Emmaus) is a proud sponsor of the upcoming 46th Annual National Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA) Convention to be held in Baltimore, Md., Oct. 10-13. The SCDAA, under the new leadership of Beverly Francis-Gibson, is dedicated to educating and caring for patients whose lives are affected by this chronic condition.

The meeting will provide an opportunity for leaders of community-based organizations – the local groups that make enormous differences in patients’ lives – to learn about new therapies and methods of treatment, and to also gain a better understanding of patients with the aim of developing educational materials and outreach tools specifically geared to the sickle cell disease patient community. More than 600 people are expected to attend, comprised of community organization leaders, physicians and other caregivers, patients and biopharmaceutical companies that make and market disease modifying agents, such as Emmaus with its recently approved treatment, Endari™ (L-glutamine oral powder).

Emmaus, to better understand how it can address patients’ needs and encourage them to seek treatment, will be conducting a closed-door focus group led by Ashley Valentine, a sickle cell community leader and sibling of a sickle cell patient. Ms. Valentine stated: “Many patients feel disenfranchised, marginalized, neglected and ignored by the health care system. The SCDAA meeting is helpful in showing that practitioners care, and it also provides a venue for us to learn how to better reach patients and improve health and quality of life outcomes.”

Emmaus Life Sciences, the company that markets Endari, provided an unrestricted educational block grant to the SCDAA.

About Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder characterized by the production of an altered form of hemoglobin which polymerizes and becomes fibrous, causing red blood cells to become rigid and change form so that they appear sickle shaped instead of soft and rounded. Patients with Sickle Cell Disease suffer from debilitating episodes of sickle cell crises, which occur when the rigid, adhesive and inflexible red blood cells occlude blood vessels. Sickle cell crises cause excruciating pain as a result of insufficient oxygen being delivered to tissue, referred to as tissue ischemia, and inflammation. These events may lead to a variety of other adverse outcomes such as acute chest syndrome that requires hospitalization. Sickle cell disease is an orphan disease, affecting approximately 100,000 patients in the U.S. and millions worldwide with significant unmet medical needs.

About Endari™ (L-glutamine oral powder)
Indication
Endari is indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adult and pediatric patients 5 years of age and older.
Important Safety Information

The most common adverse reactions (incidence >10 percent) in clinical studies were constipation, nausea, headache, abdominal pain, cough, pain in extremities, back pain, and chest pain.

Adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation included one case each of hypersplenism, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, burning sensation, and hot flash.

The safety and efficacy of Endari in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease younger than five years of age has not been established.

For more information, please see full Prescribing Information of Endari at: www.ENDARIrx.com/PI

About Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc.
Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative treatments and therapies primarily for rare and orphan disease. Its lead product, Endari, demonstrated positive clinical results in the completed Phase 3 clinical trial for sickle cell anemia and sickle ß0-thalassemia and has received U.S. FDA approval. Visit: http://www.emmausmedical.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the research, development and potential commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. Additional risks and uncertainties are described in reports filed by Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Emmaus is providing this information as of the date of this press release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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