Intellipharmaceutics Augments Its Rexista(TM) Oxycodone Development Program With Novel Overdose Deterrence Technology

TORONTO, Aug. 28, 2014  -- Intellipharmaceutics International Inc. (IPCI) (TSX:I), a pharmaceutical company specializing in the research, development and manufacture of novel and generic controlled-release and targeted-release oral solid dosage drugs, today announced an enhancement of its Rexista(TM) abuse-deterrence technologies with a significant improvement designed to prevent overdose when more pills than prescribed are swallowed intact. Intellipharmaceutics' new platform technology is branded PODRAS(TM) (Paradoxical OverDose Resistance Activating System).

The PODRAS(TM) platform technology is covered by patents pending with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office.

"We believe this significant advance in our abuse deterrence technology has the potential to positively differentiate Rexista(TM) from other abuse-deterrent technologies of which we are aware, and represents an important step toward helping patients manage their pain safely," said Dr. Isa Odidi, Chief Executive Officer of Intellipharmaceutics. "In addition to its use with oxycodone, the new technology is potentially applicable to a wide range of drug products that are intentionally or inadvertently abused and cause harm by overdose to those who ingest them."

Intellipharmaceutics' most advanced application of the PODRAS(TM) platform to date is to its Rexista(TM) product candidate (oxycodone hydrochloride extended-release tablet), which is designed to deter abuse by both physical interference and overdose.

Preclinical studies of Rexista(TM) suggest that, unlike other third-party abuse-deterrent oxycodone products, if more tablets than prescribed are deliberately or inadvertently swallowed, the amount of drug active released over 24 hours may be substantially less than expected, even possibly approaching zero. However, if the prescribed number of pills is swallowed, the drug release should be as expected.

In January 2013, the United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") published a paper titled, Guidance for Industry: Abuse-Deterrent Opioids — Evaluation and Labeling, which cited the need for more efficacious abuse deterrence-technology.

In this draft Guidance, the FDA stated, "Opioid analgesics are often manipulated for purposes of abuse. Most abuse-deterrent technologies developed to date are designed to make product manipulation more difficult or to make abuse of the manipulated product less attractive or rewarding. However, these technologies have not yet proven successful at deterring the most common form of abuse -- swallowing a number of intact pills or tablets to achieve a feeling of euphoria."

Dr. Ed Sellers, an internationally recognized clinical pharmacologist and Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto, and President of DL Global Partners commented "The risk of overdose due to taking more opiate analgesic than prescribed is a real one. The lack of delivery technologies to reduce that risk is an unmet public health need. The announced technology is promising. Confirmation of its clinical importance in human clinical studies would be a significant contribution to deterring abuse."

Intellipharmaceutics currently expects to begin a series of clinical trials in Canada and the United States in the coming months to further evaluate Rexista(TM) incorporating its PODRAS(TM) platform.

There can be no assurance as to whether or when the FDA will approve any Intellipharmaceutics' Rexista(TM) oxycodone application.

About Rexista(TM) Oxycodone

Rexista(TM) oxycodone is an investigational drug, with a unique long-acting oral formulation of oxycodone intended to treat moderate-to-severe pain when a continuous, around the clock opioid analgesic is needed for an extended period of time. Rexista(TM) oxycodone is designed to discourage common methods of tampering associated with misuse and abuse of such prescription opioid analgesic.

About Intellipharmaceutics

Intellipharmaceutics International Inc. is a pharmaceutical company specializing in the research, development and manufacture of novel and generic controlled-release and targeted-release oral solid dosage drugs. The Company's patented Hypermatrix(TM) technology is a multidimensional controlled-release drug delivery platform that can be applied to the efficient development of a wide range of existing and new pharmaceuticals. Based on this technology platform, Intellipharmaceutics has developed several drug delivery systems and a pipeline of products (our dexmethylphenidate hydrochloride extended-release capsules for the 15 and 30 mg strengths) and product candidates in various stages of development, including Abbreviated New Drug Applications ("ANDAs") filed with the FDA in therapeutic areas that include neurology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal tract, diabetes and pain.

Intellipharmaceutics also has New Drug Application 505(b)(2) product candidates in its development pipeline. These include Rexista(TM) oxycodone, an abuse-deterrent oxycodone, based on its proprietary nPODDDS(TM) novel Point Of Divergence Drug Delivery System, and PODRAS(TM) Paradoxical Overdose Resistance Activating System, and Regabatin(TM) XR pregabalin extended-release capsules.

Certain statements in this document constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and/or "forward-looking information" under the Securities Act (Ontario). These statements include, without limitation, statements expressed or implied regarding our plans, goals and milestones, status of developments or expenditures relating to our business, plans to fund our current activities, statements concerning our partnering activities, health regulatory submissions, strategy, future operations, future financial position, future sales, revenues and profitability, projected costs, and market penetration. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," "intends," "could," or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. We made a number of assumptions in the preparation of our forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which are subject to a multitude of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, future circumstances or events to differ materially from those stated in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors that could affect our actual results include, but are not limited to, the effects of general economic conditions, securing and maintaining corporate alliances, our estimates regarding our capital requirements, and the effect of capital market conditions and other factors, including the current status of our product development programs, on capital availability, the potential dilutive effects of any future financing and the expected use of any proceeds from any offering of our securities, our programs regarding research, development and commercialization of our product candidates, the timing of such programs, the timing, costs and uncertainties regarding obtaining regulatory approvals to market our product candidates, and the timing and amount of any available investment tax credits, the actual or perceived benefits to users of our drug delivery technologies, products and product candidates as compared to others, our ability to establish and maintain valid and enforceable intellectual property rights in our drug delivery technologies, products and product candidates, the scope of protection provided by intellectual property for our drug delivery technologies, products and product candidates, the actual size of the potential markets for any of our products and product candidates compared to our market estimates, our selection and licensing of products and product candidates, our ability to attract distributors and collaborators with the ability to fund patent litigation and with acceptable development, regulatory and commercialization expertise and the benefits to be derived from such collaborative efforts, sources of revenues and anticipated revenues, including contributions from distributors and collaborators, product sales, license agreements and other collaborative efforts for the development and commercialization of product candidates, our ability to create an effective direct sales and marketing infrastructure for products we elect to market and sell directly, the rate and degree of market acceptance of our products, the difficulty of predicting the impact of competitive products and pricing and the timing and success of product launches, the timing and amount of insurance reimbursement for our products, changes in the laws and regulations, including Medicare and Medicaid, affecting among other things, pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceutical products, the success and pricing of other competing therapies that may become available, our ability to retain and hire qualified employees, the availability and pricing of third party sourced products and materials, difficulties or delays in manufacturing, the manufacturing capacity of third-party manufacturers that we may use for our products, and the successful compliance with FDA and other governmental regulations applicable to the Company and its third party manufacturers' facilities, products and/or businesses. Additional risks and uncertainties relating to the Company and our business can be found in the "Risk Factors" section of our latest annual information form, our latest Form 20-F, and our latest Form F-3 (including any documents forming a part thereof or incorporated by reference therein), as well as in our reports, public disclosure documents and other filings with the securities commissions and other regulatory bodies in Canada and the U.S., which are available on www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov. The forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on what we believe are reasonable assumptions as of the date of this document, and we disclaim any intention and have no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Company Contact:
Intellipharmaceutics International Inc.
Shameze Rampertab
Vice President Finance & CFO
416-798-3001
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Investor Contact:
ProActive Capital
Kirin Smith
646-863-6519
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.