Partnership Spotlight: The Urgent Need for Opioid Treatment

Every 7 minutes, someone in America loses their life to an opioid overdose. While current treatments exist, they have significant limitations - from daily clinic visits for methadone to the need for someone else to administer Narcan during an overdose. Dr. Kathryn Frietze at the University of New Mexico is working on a groundbreaking alternative: a vaccine that could prevent overdoses before they happen. 

On January 21, CellMosaic hosted a special webinar featuring Dr. Kathryn Frietze, Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico's Health Sciences Center, and our CEO, Dr. Yumei Huang. At CellMosaic, we are particularly proud to showcase that our specialized chemistry and bioconjugation expertise - typically used for cancer treatments - is the underlying technology platform behind UNM’s promising research into opioid treatment.

Here's what we learned about this innovative approach to combating the opioid crisis.

You can watch the full video here: 

The Science Behind the Solution

Dr. Frietze's lab is developing medicines that teach the body to recognize and neutralize opioids before they can cause harm. Think of it as creating a biological safety net that catches dangerous drugs before they reach the brain. Key advantages of this approach:

• Protection could last for months with just two doses 

• Proactive, not reactive like current small molecule drug treatments

• Works faster than existing approaches

• Shows promise in preventing respiratory depression during overdose

• Could potentially protect against multiple drugs simultaneously

Why CellMosaic's Technology Matters

When Dr. Frietze needed to attach opioid molecules to her vaccine particles, she faced a crucial challenge: finding someone who could create the precise molecular connections needed. That's where CellMosaic's expertise proved essential:

• We believe we are the only company able to successfully modify both oxycodone and fentanyl for vaccine development

• Delivered solutions quickly using their proprietary processes

• Enabled rapid research progress through reliable manufacturing

Dr. Huang explained CellMosaic's strategic role: "While we're concentrated on cancer treatment, there's significant similarity in developing vaccines and cancer therapies. They share the same core chemistry, manufacturing, and control requirements. Everything is synergetic."

Why This Matters to Biotech Investors

The UNM collaboration showcases CellMosaic's unique market position in the $200B+ drug delivery space. While most biotech investments are binary bets on clinical trials, CellMosaic generates revenue at multiple stages of drug development through:

• Technical Leadership: When UNM needed specialized chemistry to attach opioid molecules to vaccine particles, CellMosaic was the only company they could find that was able to help. CellMosaic's 220+ proprietary processes, developed over 15 years, enabled them to quickly modify both oxycodone and fentanyl - two structurally different drugs that presented unique challenges.

• Diverse Revenue Streams: Research tools, custom manufacturing, and potential licensing opportunities.

• Scalable Platform: The same chemistry expertise that enables cancer drug development applies to vaccines and other therapeutic areas.

• Market Validation: "When we first went out to look for a company that could do [advanced bioconjugation services to create linker molecules], we were having a hard time," noted Dr. Frietze. "CellMosaic immediately said yes and expanded what we were looking at."

Massive Potential Impact 

"Every time I present this work, people come up to tell me about family members, friends, or themselves who have been impacted by the opioid epidemic," Dr. Frietze shared during the webinar. The crisis touches every community: teenagers exposed to contaminated recreational drugs, patients who developed dependency through prescribed medications, and families shattered by overdose losses. With over 5.5 million Americans currently living with opioid use disorder (The Opioid Crisis | NIH HEAL Initiative) and deaths occurring every 7 minutes, the need for better solutions isn't just a market opportunity - it's a moral imperative.

Current treatments leave critical gaps:

• Daily clinic visits create barriers for those without transportation

• Narcan requires someone else to be present during an overdose

• Treatment access remains limited, especially in rural areas

• Growing contamination of other substances with fentanyl puts more lives at risk

A vaccine approach could transform this landscape, potentially providing months of protection with just two doses. "It would be revolutionary," noted Dr. Frietze, particularly for vulnerable populations like recently incarcerated individuals who face the highest risk of fatal overdose.

The potential reach of this technology is significant:

• $5 billion current market for opioid use disorder treatments

• Expected to grow to $10 billion by 2029

• Over 5.5 million Americans currently live with opioid use disorder

• No similar vaccine is currently available on the market

CellMosaic's role becomes particularly crucial as the project moves toward manufacturing milestones. With plans to establish GMP facilities and scale up production capabilities, CellMosaic is positioning itself to support the transition from lab success to clinical development. "We're already supporting the proof-of-concept work," noted Dr. Huang, "and we're preparing our infrastructure to handle the next phases of development."

CellMosaic's Role in the Future

As this research moves forward, CellMosaic is preparing to support larger-scale development. The company is aiming to expand its manufacturing capabilities for clinical trials, build new production facilities, and support CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) requirements - all while leveraging 15 years of bioconjugation expertise. 

"Everything is synergetic," Dr. Huang explained during the webinar. "The core chemistry, manufacturing, and control requirements we've developed for cancer treatments apply directly to vaccine development."

With the StartEngine campaign closing on January 30th, CellMosaic is positioned at a crucial moment. The company's proven revenue model, validated technology, and expanding applications in critical therapeutic areas like opioid addiction treatment demonstrate its potential impact in the $200B+ drug delivery market. 

While the opioid vaccine development showcases just one application of CellMosaic's technology, it highlights the company's broader mission: providing essential tools and expertise that help bring life-changing treatments to patients. To learn more about joining CellMosaic's growth, visit our StartEngine page: https://www.startengine.com/offering/cellmosaic  

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FINRA/SIPC. This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk,

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