Awakn Life Sciences Corp. AWKNF, a biotech company developing therapeutics to treat addictions with a near-term focus on Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD), has received an Innovation Passport for its proprietary Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAT) for treating severe AUD. The passport was issued by the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

See also: Can Ketamine Treat Alcohol Addiction? The Awakn approach

The designation is part of the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP), which aims to reduce time to market and improve patient access.

Similar to the FDA fast track programThe MHRA Innovation Passport Awakn provides access to expert advice from MHRA and its partners, including the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

See also: PharmaTher Holdings Secures New Orphan Drug Designation, Discusses Another Fast-Track, MDMA Patch Partner

The scheme could ultimately empower the National Health Service (NHS) to roll out potential treatments faster and allow faster patient access.

The company’s KAT professor, Celia Morgan, noted that Innovation Passport status will allow Awakn to “optimally build on the Phase 2 proof-of-concept.” study results in the partnership work on market approval.

“We look forward to working closely with MHRA, NICE and partners to accelerate our development planned phase 3 clinical studyto be carried out in collaboration with the NIHR, MRC, NHS and Exeter University,” said Morgan.

Photo: Benzinga edited with photo by qimono on Pixabay and Doc James on Wikimedia Commons.