SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ensysce Biosciences Inc., a clinical phase company with innovative solutions for severe pain relief to reduce fear of addiction, opioid misuse, abuse and overdose, today announced the appointment of Andrew K. Benton to its Board of Directors. Mr. Benton is President Emeritus of Pepperdine University.
Andrew Benton served as the seventh president of Pepperdine University since 2000 and led Pepperdine to prominence among the nation's top universities. A lawyer by training, Mr. Benton was deeply involved in the lives of students and was often called "the Students' President." He is a recognized leader in the nation’s two largest convening organizations for higher education, serving as former chair of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) and former chair of the American Council on Education (ACE), the major coordinating body for all of the nation's higher education institutions. He is also past chair of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities and a member of the American Bar Association, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the President’s Cabinet of the West Coast Conference, the Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities (AAPICU), and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.
Mr. Benton is a 1974 graduate of Oklahoma Christian University with a degree in American studies. He earned his law degree from Oklahoma City University in 1979 and was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the School of Law.
“Ensysce is leading the challenge of entering the opioid space when the political and regulatory climate is looking for new answers for analgesia. Opioid products are necessary for many patients to lead normal lives including those with cancer pain, crippling arthritis and chronic back pain. Ensysce is providing an option for both patients and prescribers that can reduce fear of addiction, stop abuse and stem overdose from these prescription products. Mr. Benton will provide the company with a level perspective on responsible use of pain medication, and the need for solutions to the dilemma we now face in the midst of prescription drug abuse,” said Dr. Kirkpatrick, CEO of Ensysce Biosciences. “Our TAAPTM oral prodrug technology and MPARTM overdose protection, both unique to the industry, have already demonstrated exceptional clinical results that will hold a prominent place in responsible prescribing of analgesics. We look forward to rapidly progressing these through clinical development so the public can benefit from these safer alternatives.”
About Ensysce Biosciences:
Ensysce is a clinical phase drug development company with a focus on prodrug compositions to overcome abuse, especially for the highly abused opioid and ADHD prescription drugs. As prescriptions for opioids have risen sharply over the last two decades, rates of addiction and overdose deaths have dramatically increased. Drug overdose deaths are now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. Abuse Deterrent Formulation (ADF) opioids have not stemmed this epidemic. Ensysce’s Trypsin Activated Abuse Protection (TAAPTM) and Multi-Pill Abuse Resistance (MPARTM) products will change that and provide a promise of halting opioid deaths. Ensysce’s TAAPTM/MPARTM platforms are covered by an extensive worldwide intellectual property portfolio for a wide array of prescription drug prodrug compositions. www.ensysce.com
