TORONTO and CHICAGO, Aug. 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wesana Health Holdings Inc. (“Wesana” or the “Company”) (CSE: WESA; OTCQB: WSNAF) is pleased to highlight the recent appointments of Robert Koffman, MD, MPH; Ian Burnstein; Mitch Kahn and George Michael Steinbrenner IV to its Board of Directors.
Chad Bronstein, Chairman of Wesana Health, commented, “Wesana is building a world-class board of directors to support its objective of becoming a global leader in the treatment of neurological health. The recent additions to the board will add a significant amount of strategic, scientific, investment and management guidance to drive overall company efforts related to the research and treatment of mental health conditions, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD.”
Dr. Robert Koffman
A retired U.S. Navy Captain, Dr. Koffman has over 30 years of clinical, operational, and leadership experience as a naval medical officer. Appointed as the Navy’s first head of Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC), Dr. Koffman advised the Navy Surgeon General as the Director for Psychological Health and directed the management of over $100 million in military spending to tackle the burgeoning problem of PTSD and blast related TBI. Dr. Koffman was also twice the Navy lead on the blue-ribbon panel authoring the DoD/VA Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Clinical Practice Guideline, and lead clinical operations at the premiere National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE).
Dr. Koffman is currently serving as the Co-Chair of the Montgomery County Veteran Affairs Commission where he leads veteran suicide prevention efforts. Already conducting research on treatment resistant depression with psilocybin, he is slated to begin MDMA-Assisted Therapy under FDA Expanded Access at the Aquilino Cancer Center in Rockville, MD. Dr. Koffman obtained his doctorate from the University of Santo Tomas, his Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health and is a graduate from the Center for Psychedelic Treatment and Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS).
On the appointment, Daniel Carcillo, Co-Founder and CEO of Wesana Health, said, “Dr. Koffman has been a passionate advocate for increasing veterans’ access to non-stigmatizing and non-traditional psychological services and integrative modalities. He has seen firsthand the devasting effects that PTSD and TBI can cause and will be a valuable resource to guide our research and treatment efforts on these fronts.”
On his appointment, Dr. Koffman said, “Wesana’s research has the ability to change lives—not just for wounded veterans—but for anyone dealing with the life changing consequences of TBI and trauma. I look forward to sharing my experience in operational medicine to guide this company as it continues to grow.”
Ian Burnstein
Mr. Burnstein brings a deep understanding of investment strategies, entrepreneurship, market knowledge, and philanthropy. He is the principal and co-founder of Equitable Advisors, a full-service advisory firm helping entrepreneurs execute on their business model, and serves as the Detroit Chair of Tiger 21, an investment group and peer membership organization for high-net-worth wealth creators. He is also the owner of Storage Pro Management, which oversees self-storage facilities in several states, and founded the Storage Business Owners Alliance, a buying cooperative group for self-storage owners.
Mr. Burnstein serves as the president of the board of the Dr. Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic, which provides free health care in Pontiac, Detroit for more than 8,000 people annually. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and his juris doctorate from the University of Detroit Mercy.
Mitchell Kahn
Mr. Kahn was the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Grassroots Cannabis, a private, vertically integrated, cannabis operation in the United States. Under Mr. Kahn’s tenure, Grassroots grew to over 1,100 team members across 11 states and received the approval of more than 60 regulatory licenses in the cannabis sector before it was purchased by Curaleaf Holdings Inc in July 2020. Prior to Grassroots Cannabis, Mitchell co-founded Frontline Real Estate Partners, a Chicago-based real estate investment and advisory company with expertise in the acquisition, development, management, disposition and leasing of commercial real estate properties throughout the United States. He actively serves as Chairman of Frontline Real Estate Partners and Fyllo Inc. He is also a director of both Curaleaf Holdings Inc. and Flower One Holdings Inc.
George Michael Steinbrenner IV
George is an entrepreneur and philanthropist having established a talent management agency, a business incubator and the George4 Foundation. He is also the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Steinbrenner Racing which is involved with the NTT INDYCAR Series.
About Wesana
Wesana is an emerging life sciences company championing the development and delivery of psychedelic and naturally-sourced therapies to treat traumatic brain injury (TBI). Through extensive clinical research and academic partnerships, Wesana is developing evidence-based formulations and protocols that empower patients to overcome neurological, psychological and mental health ailments caused by trauma.
Learn more at www.wesanahealth.com
Forward-Looking Information and Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws with respect to the Company, including, but not limited to, information concerning the anticipated timing for receipt of results from the anxiety and depression study described above and the anticipated timing for commencement and conclusion of the Pivotal Study described above. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, will”, “projects”, or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events, results or conditions “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Except for statements of historical fact, information contained herein constitutes forward-looking information.
Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management at the date the statements are made including among other things assumptions about: research and development costs remaining consistent with budgets;; favorable operating conditions; political and regulatory stability; obtaining and maintaining all required licenses and permits; receipt of governmental approvals and permits; sustained labor stability;; the ability of the Company to be successful in its research and development initiatives; and the availability of third party service providers and other inputs for the Company’s operations. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, the assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, social, economic, political, regulatory, competitive and other risks and uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that could cause actual performance, achievements, actions, events, results or conditions to be materially different from those projected in the forward-looking information. Many assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct.
Furthermore, such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, financial position, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, financial position, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others: research and development of drugs targeting the central nervous system being particularly difficult; delivering data from ongoing pre-clinical and clinical studies; competition from other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies; reliance on third parties to plan, conduct and monitor preclinical studies and clinical trials; negative results from pre-clinical and clinical trials or studies of others; unfavorable publicity or consumer perception; not achieving publicly announced milestones; reliance on the capabilities and experience of key executives and scientists; disruptions due to acquisitions or collaborations; risk of product liability claims; COVID-19; litigation; conflicts of interest; limited operating history; exposure to the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates; ability to protect intellectual property; changes in patent law; requirements to share intellectual property with service providers; general economic, market and business conditions, other risks factors including those found in the Company’s Listing Statement dated May 6, 2021 filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and discussed in the Company’s other public filings available on SEDAR. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is provided and made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking information other than as required by applicable law.
For more information, please contact:
Media Contact:
Nick Opich / Annie Graf
KCSA Strategic Communications
Email: Wesana@kcsa.com
Phone: 212-896-1206 / 786-390-2644
On behalf of the Board of Directors:
Daniel Carcillo, Chief Executive Officer
Phone: (773) 236-7972
