Robert Benson, PhD, Appointed Intellectual Property Advisor to Akelos Inc., Biotechnology Company Developing Opioid Drug Alternatives

NEW YORK, March 11, 2019 (Newswire.com) - ​​Akelos Inc., a biotechnology company currently developing and commercializing a novel, non-opioid anti-hyperalgesic drug to treat chronic and neuropathic pain adds Robert Benson, Ph.D., formerly of Harvard University and the National Institutes of Health, to its roster of high-profile advisors.

Dr. Benson is a seasoned technology transfer professional with over 20 years of experience in licensing and intellectual property. Before becoming Principal of his consulting company, South Shaker Associates LLC, he spent nearly a decade as Director of Business Development for the Office of Technology Development at Harvard University. Dr. Benson also spent 13 years as a Supervisory Licensing Specialist in the Office of Technology Transfer at the National Institutes of Health. He has wide experience with licensing and intellectual property matters and a broad understanding of molecular sciences, including material sciences, chemistry, and biotechnology. Dr. Benson is a patent agent and worked as a patent examiner at the USPTO in the medicinal chemistry and biotechnology areas. He has a Ph.D. in chemical physics from New York University.

An estimated 20 million people in the United States live with chronic neuropathic pain, for which opioid medication is a common treatment. However, the unprecedented opioid epidemic has made it all the more important to develop new medications that relieve pain without the addictive qualities that can lead to dependency. Our collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine researchers, led by Dr. Goldstein, is a critical step to realizing that goal.

Dr. Steven Fox, Chairman of Akelos Inc.

Akelos Inc. is in a research collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine to develop and commercialize a novel, non-opioid anti-hyperalgesic drug to treat chronic and neuropathic pain. The pre-clinical laboratory research that gave rise to Akelos Inc. underlying technology was enabled through prior support provided by Weill Cornell Medicine’s Daedalus Fund for Innovation, an “accelerator” type program that provides gap funding for select research projects at Weill Cornell Medicine with manifest commercial potential. Weill Cornell Medicine’s Office of BioPharma Alliances and Research Collaborations, which leads the Daedalus Fund for Innovation, catalyzed and negotiated the Agreement with Akelos.

Dr. Peter Goldstein, a professor of anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine and a principal investigator in the C.V. Starr Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology in the institution’s Department of Anesthesiology, is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Akelos. He also is a named inventor on patents licensed to Akelos and Cornell University.

“An estimated 20 million people in the United States live with chronic neuropathic pain, for which opioid medication is a common treatment,” said Dr. Steven Fox, chairman of Akelos Inc. “However, the unprecedented opioid epidemic has made it all the more important to develop new medications that relieve pain without the addictive qualities that can lead to dependency. Our collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine researchers, led by Dr. Goldstein, is a critical step to realizing that goal."

Weill Cornell Medicine's Office of BioPharma Alliances and Research Collaborations’ mission is to proactively generate, structure and market translational research alliances with industry in order to advance promising research projects that have commercial potential. For more information, contact Larry Schlossman at las2041@med.cornell.edu or at 212-746-6909.

For more information, please contact:

Akelos Inc.
Dr.  Steven Fox, CEO
212-953-1544
drstevefox@aol.com

About Akelos Inc.

Akelos Inc. is a biopharmaceutical clinical company focused on the translation of innovative science into treatment. The company currently is developing novel non-narcotic drugs for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The goal of Akelos is to address some of today’s most pressing areas of unmet needs.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks, and uncertainties that may cause actual results, outcomes of events, timing and performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These statements include, among others, those related to: the results of research and development activities, uncertainties relating to preclinical and clinical testing, the cost, timing and outcome of the regulatory development and approval process, our budgets, expenditures and financing plans, our need for substantial additional funds, patent and intellectual property matters, our dependence on third parties, including contract research and contract clinical trial organizations; and market opportunity and competition.

The information contained in this press release is believed to be current as of the date of original issue. Akelos, Inc. expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

Source: Akelos Inc.