Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Announces the Appoint

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Opiant”) (OTCQB:OPNT), a specialty pharmaceutical company developing pharmacological treatments for substance use, addictive and eating disorders, today announced the appointment of Phil Skolnick, Ph.D., D.Sc. (hon.) as Chief Scientific Officer, effective immediately. In his new position, Dr. Skolnick will lead Opiant’s research and development activities.    

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Skolnick to the Opiant team, and look forward to his contributions as we advance development of our pipeline of novel substance abuse treatments,” said Roger Crystal, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Opiant. “His expertise in the discovery and development of therapeutics to treat neuropsychiatric disorders, coupled with his background in academia, the pharmaceutical sector, and the NIH makes him uniquely qualified to assume this important role.”   

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead Opiant’s talented R&D team and to help fulfill the Company’s mission of introducing new treatment options to combat addictions,” said Dr. Skolnick. “I am eager to guide the preclinical and clinical development of the Company’s promising pipeline with the goal of bringing new treatments to the people who need them.”   

Dr. Skolnick joins Opiant from the National Institute of Health, where he served as Director of the Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences, National Institute of Drug Abuse, since 2010. Prior to joining the NIH, he served as President and Chief Scientific Officer of DOV Pharmaceutical, Inc., and, prior to that, Research Fellow in Neuroscience at Lilly Research Laboratories (LRL), a division of Eli Lilly & Co. Before joining Lilly, Dr. Skolnick served as Chief, Laboratory of Neuroscience at the NIH.

Dr. Skolnick earned his Ph.D. from The George Washington University, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and has twice been awarded the D.Sc. honoris causa.

About Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a specialty pharmaceutical company developing pharmacological treatments for substance use, addictive and eating disorders. Over 45 million people in the U.S. have one of these disorders. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), describes these disorders as chronic relapsing brain diseases which burden society at both the individual and community levels. With its innovative opioid antagonist nasal delivery technology, Opiant is positioned to become a leader in these treatment markets. Its first product, NARCAN® Nasal Spray, is approved for marketing in the U.S. and Canada by the company’s partner, Adapt Pharma Limited. For more information please visit: www.opiant.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

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CONTACT INFORMATION: Corporate Contact: Investor.relations@opiant.com Media: Susan Forman DGI sforman@dgicomm.com 212-825-3210 Investors: Glenn Garmont Senior Vice President Argot Partners glenn@argotpartners.com 212-600-1902