Vapogenix, Developing Non-Opioid Pain Alternatives, Meeting with Investors, Partners During JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week

Vapogenix, a clinical-stage company developing a new class of topical non-opioid, lidocaine-free analgesics, announced today its management team will hold partnering and investor meetings January 13 to January 16, 2020, in San Francisco concurrent with the annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference.

Vapogenix is focused on changing the reliance on opioids for treatment of all types of topical pain. The company's unique portfolio of analgesics are novel, patented formulations of volatile anesthetics (VAs) for patients suffering acute and chronic pain from wounds, skin ulcers, burns, and inflammatory skin and joint disease.

"The national opioid epidemic combined with the continuing clinical need for pain relief creates an urgent demand for Vapogenix's pipeline of non-opioid analgesics," said Heather Giles, Ph.D., President and CEO of Vapogenix. "There is a compelling need for new pain medications that are opioid sparing and are safe with no systemic side effects."

For meetings, contact Dr. Giles at [email protected] or +1-713-748-3903.

Encouraging Phase II Trial Data

Results of a recent Phase II trial of the company's lead product, VPX638, demonstrated a rapid onset and sustained duration of pain relief, reduced opioid use and no evidence of systemic or local adverse side effects. The data showed 50% fewer VPX638 patients required opioids in the 24 hours post-drug application, and a 61% decrease in opioid use at night compared with the placebo group, indicative of better sleep and an opioid-sparing effect among patients who received VPX638.

"The encouraging Phase II trial data will inform the design of Phase IIb/III studies expected to begin in 2020 followed by a new drug application (NDA) filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2022," Giles added.

Topical VAs as Alternatives to Opioids

Presently, opioids are commonly prescribed for moderate to severe pain. They not only are potentially addictive, but also are associated with other adverse effects such as cognitive impairment, constipation and respiratory distress. In addition, opioid use can negatively affect wounds by delaying the healing process.

The U.S. Centers Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified poorly managed chronic pain as a major factor contributing to the nation's opioid crisis. The CDC reported that between 1999 and 2016, 200,000 people died from overdoses of prescription opioids.

Vapogenix has a robust pipeline of formulated VAs for clinical application in a wide variety of painful conditions, including acute procedural pain. The topical formulations also have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. VPX638 has the potential to become the standard of care in the management of painful wounds with peak annual sales estimated at more than $500 million. Following results of its Phase II trial of VPX638, Vapogenix is seeking strategic partnerships to expedite the broad development of these exciting compounds.

About Vapogenix:

Vapogenix, based in Houston, TX, is a clinical stage company developing a new class of topical, non-opioid analgesics to alleviate pain. While most pain is localized, most pain medications are administered orally, which often results in systemic side effects. Vapogenix is focused on treating pain locally ? at its source. The Company's products are volatile anesthetics (VAs) formulated for topical application for the treatment of pain. Vapogenix has a robust intellectual property portfolio with 35 issued or allowed patents globally. To learn more about Vapogenix, visit www.vapogenix.com.