Founded in 2013, Aelis Farma is a biopharmaceutical company that has developed a new class of drugs, the Signaling Specific inhibitors of the CB1 receptor of the endocannabinoid system (CB1-Ssi). These new molecules hold great potential in the treatment of many brain diseases. CB1-Ssi were developed by Aelis Farma on the basis of the discovery of a new natural defense mechanism of the brain made by the team of Dr. Pier Vincenzo Piazza, CEO of the Company, when he was Director the Inserm Magendie Neurocentre in Bordeaux. For these discoveries, Dr. Piazza was awarded the Grand Prix of Inserm, and the Grand Prix of Neurology of the French Academy of Sciences, which are among the most prestigious French awards for medicine and neurology.

Aelis Farma is developing two first-in-class drug candidates that are at the clinical stage, AEF0117 and AEF0217, and has a portfolio of innovative CB1-Ssi for the treatment of other diseases associated with dysregulation of CB1 receptor activity.

AEF0117, which targets disorders due to excessive cannabis use (addiction and psychosis), has completed a phase 2a study that showed positive signs of efficacy and will enter a phase 2b in the United States in 2022. Aelis Farma has signed an exclusive option license agreement with Indivior PLC, a leading pharmaceutical company in the treatment of addiction, for the development and commercialization of AEF0117 in cannabis use disorders. As part of this collaboration, Aelis Farma received $30 million (option payment). If Indivior exercises the license option at the end of phase 2b, Aelis Farma will receive a $100 million license fee (potentially in 2024) and up to $340 million in additional payments contingent on the achievement of development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on net sales of AEF0117 ranging from 12% to 20%.

AEF0217, which targets various cognitive disorders including those associated with Down syndrome, is progressing successfully in its phase 1/2 program and could provide the first proof of efficacy in early 2023. This compound has been the subject of extensive preclinical proof-of-concept studies using highly innovative and highly predictive tests to assess cognitive functions. In this context, AEF0217 has demonstrated its ability to completely reverse deficits in several models of cognitive disorders such as Down’s syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, as well as in certain cognitive deficits associated with aging.

Based in Bordeaux, within the Inserm Magendie Neurocentre, Aelis Farma has a team of 24 highly qualified employees and has benefited from investments from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Bpifrance, regional funds ACI, NACO and Aqui-invest and IRDI Capital Investissement.