Oragenics to acquire Odyssey Health’s neuro drug, tech pipeline

Oragenics Inc. and Odyssey Health Inc. have announced an agreement under which Oragenics will acquire Odyssey’s assets related to its proprietary neurological drug therapies and technologies.

According to a joint release, the assets in question include drug candidates for treating mild traumatic brain injury, Niemann Pick Disease Type C, as well as Odyssey’s proprietary powder formulation and its nasal delivery device. Per the agreement, which is expected to conclude in the fourth quarter of 2023, Odyssey will retain rights to its other assets and operations.

“We believe this strategic transaction could place Oragenics in a prime position to harness our expertise in intranasal administration, propelling us forward in neurological therapeutics,” Oragenics President and CEO Kim Murphy said in the release. “We are excited by the prospect of addressing some of the world’s most pressing health challenges and evolving our company to enhance the lives of countless individuals.”

Odyssey’s lead concussion asset, ONP-002, is a first-in-class intranasal drug under development for the treatment of moderate-to-severe concussion in the acute through subacute phases. Data from a phase 1 clinical trial showed a favorable safety profile, with the drug well-tolerated in healthy human participants. Odyssey and Oragenics are now preparing for phase 2 clinical trials to further evaluate ONP-002’s safety and efficacy, the companies said in the release.

“I look forward to working with Oragenics on further developing our assets,” Odyssey Health President and CEO Michael Redmond said in the release. “Our lead drug candidate for treating concussion has performed well in preclinical studies.”