ANAHEIM, CA, Feb. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire – BioCorRx Inc. (OTCQB: BICX) (the “Company”), a developer and provider of innovative treatment programs for substance abuse and related disorders, announced that its subsidiary BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., has appointed Kate Beebe DeVarney, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors.

Dr. DeVarney spearheaded the development of Probuphine® (buprenorphine implant), the first six-month, subcutaneous implant approved in the United States, Canada, and Europe for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Dr. DeVarney is the President, Chief Operating Officer, and a Director of Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  She was previously Titan’s Chief Scientific Officer and has been with the company since 2007.  During her tenure with Titan, Dr. DeVarney has been awarded and served as the Principal Investigator on multiple research grants funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and currently serves as an advisor on the National Advisory Committee on Drug Abuse (NACDA). Before joining Titan, she served as Senior Medical Director at Corcept Therapeutics, Inc. and as Senior Medical Director for Neurosciences within World Wide Human Health at Merck & Co. Dr. DeVarney also held positions within the neurosciences research, development, and medical affairs organizations of SmithKline Beecham and GlaxoSmithKline. Throughout her academic and industry careers, Dr. DeVarney's research has focused primarily on substance use disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, mood and anxiety disorders as well as metabolic disorders and obesity. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed medical journals such as The American Journal of Psychiatry, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, The Journal of the American Medical Association, and Addiction. She has also presented extensively at the American Psychiatric Association, the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and the International Society of Addiction Medicine.

Lourdes Felix, CEO, CFO, and Director of BioCorRx Inc., commented, “We are honored and excited to welcome Dr. DeVarney to the BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals board. Dr. DeVarney has 28 years of experience as a neuroscientist in the pharmaceutical industry, with the past 17 years focused on developing and obtaining regulatory approval for treatments for people with substance use disorder.  She has extensive knowledge of global drug development and has spent decades developing treatments for people with substance use disorder and other neuropsychiatric illnesses. Her experience and knowledge will be invaluable as we move BICX104, an implantable naltrexone pellet for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), through the regulatory pathway.”

Dr. DeVarney, commented, “I am delighted to join the board of BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals at such an important time in the evolution of the company. BICX104 represents a truly distinctive and promising therapy for the treatment of opioid use disorder by potentially providing enhanced relapse protection during the crucial early stages of treatment. I look forward to working closely with the management team to bring BICX104 to market.”

About BICX104
BICX104 is a biodegradable, long-acting subcutaneous pellet of naltrexone for the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder “OUD” being developed with the goal of improving patient compliance to naltrexone therapy compared to other marketed treatments. In Phase I, an open-label, single-center study in two parallel groups of randomized healthy volunteers to evaluate the PK and safety of BICX104 and the once-a-month intramuscular naltrexone injection (Vivitrol), BICX104 was well tolerated with no serious adverse events and achieved 84 days of therapeutic naltrexone plasma concentrations. BICX104 is being developed under BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., the Company’s majority-owned clinical-stage pharmaceutical subsidiary.

Information about the study can also be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov under NCT number 04828694.

BICX104 is being developed through a cooperative agreement with the NIDA, part of the NIH, under award number UH3DA047925, funded by the Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative. This award is subject to the Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award as set forth in RFA DA-19-002 entitled, Development of Medications to Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorders and Overdose (UG3/UH3) (Clinical Trial Optional).

The NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative or NIH HEAL Initiative®, is an aggressive, trans-NIH effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis. Launched in April 2018, the initiative is focused on improving prevention and treatment strategies for opioid misuse and addiction and enhancing pain management. For more information, visit: https://heal.nih.gov.

About OUD
OUD is a chronic disorder, with serious potential consequences including disability, relapses, and death. Opioids, used medically for pain relief, have analgesic and central nervous system depressant effects as well as the potential to cause euphoria with an overpowering desire to use opioids despite the consequences. OUD can involve misuse of prescribed opioid medications, use of diverted opioid medications, or illicitly obtained heroin. OUD is typically a chronic and relapsing illness, that is associated with significantly increased rates of morbidity and mortality.

According to the National Institute of Health opioid use disorder and opioid addiction remain at epidemic levels in the US and worldwide. Three million US citizens and 16 million individuals worldwide have had or currently suffer from OUD. More than 500,000 in the United States are dependent on heroin.

About BioCorRx Inc.

BioCorRx Inc. (OTCQB: BICX) is an addiction treatment solutions company offering a unique approach to the treatment of substance use and other related disorders. Beat Addiction Recovery is a substance use disorder recovery program that typically includes BioCorRx's proprietary Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) modules along with peer support via mobile app along with medication prescribed by an independent treating physician under their discretion. The UnCraveRx® Weight Loss Program is also a medication-assisted weight loss program that includes access to concierge on-demand wellness specialists: nutritionists, fitness experts, and personal support from behavioral experts, please visit www.uncraverx.com for more information on UnCraveRx®. The Company also controls BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage drug development subsidiary currently seeking FDA approval for BICX104, an implantable naltrexone pellet for the treatment of alcohol and opioid use disorders. For more information on BICX and its subsidiary pipeline, please visit www.BioCorRx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "estimate," "become," "plan," "will," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown. risks as well as uncertainties. Although the Company believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof.

BioCorRx Inc.
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Released February 8, 2024