Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc. (NASDAQ: MNMD / NEO: MMED), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel product candidates to treat brain health disorders, today announced that the Company has published a report by Greenleaf Health, Inc. (“Greenleaf”) setting forth an independent expert regulatory assessment of MindMed’s MM-120 (lysergide D-tartrate) development strategy. The analysis – led by the former Director and Deputy Director of the Office of New Drugs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) – focuses on MindMed’s clinical and regulatory development strategy for MM-120 and its ongoing Phase 2b trial in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (“GAD”). The findings support MindMed’s view that this trial is essential to the development of MM-120 in GAD and answers critical questions to inform a responsible development program. To read the full report, please visit: protectmindmed.com
Greenleaf is a leading FDA regulatory consulting firm run by former senior FDA officials, including Dr. John Jenkins and Dr. Sandy Kweder, former Director and Deputy Director of the Office of New Drugs at the FDA, respectively, the highest office within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (“CDER”) that oversees new drug approvals at FDA.
In its report, Greenleaf notes the vital importance of the ongoing Phase 2b trial:1
- “After review of the MM-120 regulatory history, relevant regulatory precedent, and applicable regulations and guidance, Greenleaf believes the ongoing Phase 2b dose-ranging clinical trial is an essential component to the development program for MM-120.”
- “To support FDA approval, the MM-120 program will need at least one, and more likely two, positive, adequate and well-controlled trials. The decision by MindMed to first initiate a dose-ranging Phase 2b study is appropriate and sound from a clinical and regulatory perspective.”
- “The FDA’s feedback on the proposed developed program in no way suggests that it would accept a development program that skips important learnings from a well-designed and conducted Phase 2b trial in favor of moving directly to a large Phase 3 pivotal program.”
Greenleaf also highlights the risks of proceeding without a Phase 2 trial:
- “The ongoing MM-120 Phase 2b trial is designed to address fundamental questions about dose-response, target population, preliminary evidence of efficacy on accepted FDA endpoints for anxiety, and safety that will provide clarity and confidence in designing a Phase 3 program. . . . To initiate Phase 3 trials before these foundational issues have been adequately addressed would substantially increase the chances of a failed trial and/or uninterpretable results.”
- “Therefore, the studies from the published literature are not sufficient to support a proposal for streamlining the MM-120 program directly into Phase 3.”
- “To enter Phase 3 without a well-articulated target population and indication could result not only in misalignment with the FDA, but more importantly the potential for a Phase 3 program that is difficult to interpret and thus more likely to fail.”
In direct contradiction of FCM’s proposed ideas for the Company, Greenleaf notes that prior academic studies of LSD should be considered “hypothesis generating” and cannot be solely relied upon for regulatory decision making, stating:
- “As for any novel study drug, the FDA is likely to view the prior published literature around LSD use for the treatment of anxiety as informative and hypothesis generating but not of sufficient detail to allow for an independent review or for regulatory decision making. This is particularly true for LSD given the lack of dose-finding in patients with anxiety and given that the various dosage forms utilized in the published studies do not match what MindMed has developed or intends to use as its to-be-marketed formulation.”
FCM MM Holdings, LLC (“FCM”), an entity affiliated with Jake Freeman, Scott Freeman and Chad Boulanger, is waging a distracting and costly campaign to take control of MindMed’s Board at the 2023 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”), scheduled for June 15, 2023. Based on its publicly released materials, a core tenet of FCM’s ideas for the Company is to “skip” Phase 2 for MM-120 in GAD and move directly into Phase 3, in large part by relying on prior academic studies of LSD.
MindMed is already making significant progress on its Phase 2b trial evaluating MM-120 for GAD, as demonstrated by the Company’s recent announcement that the trial is over 50% enrolled and dosed. The trial plans to enroll up to 200 participants who will receive a single administration of 25 µg, 50 µg, 100 µg or 200 µg of MM-120 or placebo. Topline results are expected to be announced in late 2023.
“As we have consistently said, our regulatory strategy for MM-120 is the right one and was formulated over several interactions with FDA. Our ongoing Phase 2b study answers critical clinical and regulatory questions that will enable us to maximize the speed, efficiency and likelihood of success of our Phase 3 program. Dr. Jenkins’ and Dr. Kweder’s extensive experience as senior officials inside FDA, and their objective analysis validating our approach, reinforces that there is no credible basis for FCM’s misplaced claim that MindMed could skip its Phase 2 study of MM-120 in GAD and go directly into Phase 3. Further, it underscores that by supporting this strategy of FCM’s, our shareholders would be putting not just the future of MM-120, but also their investments, at significant risk.”
Robert Barrow, Chief Executive Officer and Director of MindMed
Due to new U.S. federal rules requiring us to list FCM’s nominees in addition to the Board’s nominees, your WHITE proxy card this year has more names on it than the six directors to be elected. The inclusion of FCM’s nominees on our WHITE proxy card does NOT mean the Board endorses them.
Vote TODAY on the WHITE proxy card FOR all six of the Board’s nominees, WITHHOLD on FCM’s nominees and FOR the other proposals recommended by your Board.
You can help reject FCM’s efforts to take control of the Board by discarding any blue proxy cards and materials you may receive from FCM.
Shareholders will receive proxy materials directly via the preferred method, hard copy or email, specific to each shareholder’s account. If you have any questions, or need assistance voting your shares, please contact the firm assisting us in the solicitation of proxies:
Morrow Sodali LLC
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New York, NY 10022
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Email: MNMD@investor.morrowsodali.com
About MindMed
MindMed is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel product candidates to treat brain health disorders. Our mission is to be the global leader in the development and delivery of treatments that unlock new opportunities to improve patient outcomes. We are developing a pipeline of innovative product candidates, with and without acute perceptual effects, targeting neurotransmitter pathways that play key roles in brain health disorders