TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. (OTCQX: EMMA), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company and leader in the treatment of sickle cell disease, today announced it has entered into an agreement with Asembia to provide expanded patient and provider support services in order to simplify access to Endari®, the Company's prescription L-glutamine oral powder for the treatment of sickle cell disease.

Specifically, Asembia will provide a single point of contact for benefits investigation, financial and co-pay assistance, as well as patient and provider education.

"The agreement with Asembia is an important step for Emmaus, as their team will assist in streamlining the insurance authorization process for Endari as well as deployment of our various patient assistance programs," stated Yutaka Niihara, M.D., M.P.H., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emmaus. "This should meaningfully improve efficiency in the delivery our Endari to sickle cell disease patients in need of this critically important therapy."

George Sekulich, Senior Vice President of Global Commercialization of Emmaus, added, "The relationship with Asembia is important to us and will improve both the patient and provider experience with Endari. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with such a dedicated and experienced team on this essential program."  

"Asembia is focused on positively impacting the patient journey through our comprehensive suite of patient services solutions for pharmaceutical companies, like Emmaus," stated Lawrence Irene, Chief Executive Officer of Asembia. "We, look forward to partnering with Emmaus to help expand access to Endari, while positively impacting the overall patient and prescriber experience."

About Emmaus Life Sciences
Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company and leader in the treatment of sickle cell disease. The company currently markets U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Endari® (L-glutamine oral powder) indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adults and children 5 years and older. The company is also engaged in the discovery and development of innovative treatments and therapies for certain rare and orphan diseases as well as those affecting larger populations, such as diverticulosis. For more information, please visit www.emmausmedical.com.

About Asembia
Asembia is a leading provider of business solutions for specialty pharmaceuticals and related services. The company, and its subsidiaries collaborate with thousands of member pharmacies, manufacturer partners, prescribers, and other industry stakeholders to deliver meaningful solutions for the specialty pharmaceutical channel. Through a suite of business programs, contracting initiatives, patient support HUB services, and innovative technology platforms, Asembia is committed to positively impacting the patient journey. Asembia is also the host of a national conference for the pharmaceutical industry. For more information, visit www.asembia.com.

About Endari® (prescription grade L-glutamine oral powder)
Endari®, Emmaus' prescription grade L-glutamine oral powder, was approved by the FDA in July 2017 for treating sickle cell disease in adult and pediatric patients five years of age and older. Sales of Endari® began in the United States in 2018.

Indication
Endari® is indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adult and pediatric patients five 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.co/PI.

About Sickle Cell Disease
There are approximately 100,000 people living with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the United States and millions more globally. The sickle gene is found in every ethnic group, not just among those of African descent; and in the United States an estimated 1-in-365 African Americans and 1-in-16,300 Hispanic Americans are born with SCD.¹ The genetic mutation responsible for SCD causes an individual's red blood cells to distort into a "C" or a sickle shape, reducing their ability to transport oxygen throughout the body. These sickled red blood cells break down rapidly, become very sticky, and develop a propensity to clump together, which causes them to become stuck and cause damage within blood vessels. The result is reduced blood flow to distal organs, which leads to physical symptoms of incapacitating pain, tissue and organ damage, and early death.²

¹Source: Data & Statistics on Sickle Cell Disease – National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, December 2020.

²Source: Committee on Addressing Sickle Cell Disease – A Strategic Plan and Blueprint for Action -- National Academy of Sciences Press, 2020.

Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements regarding the anticipated benefits of the new online services. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which change over time, including the risk that the expanded support services may not translate into increased Endari® sales and uncertainties and risk factors disclosed in the company's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on August 10, 2021, and actual results may differ materially.  Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Emmaus assumes no duty to update them, except as may be required by law. 

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SOURCE Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc.