UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 16, 2022 (September 15, 2022)
Ensysce Biosciences, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | | 001-38306 | | 82-2755287 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | | (Commission File Number) | | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
7946 Ivanhoe Avenue, Suite 201 La Jolla, California | | 92037 |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | | (Zip Code) |
(858) 263-4196
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code
N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation to the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| ☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| | |
| ☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| | |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| | |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | | Trading Symbol(s) | | Name of each exchange on which registered |
| Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share | | ENSC | | The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC |
| Warrants to purchase one share of Common Stock | | ENSCW | | OTC Pink Open Market |
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
Ensysce Biosciences, Inc. (the “Company”) is in receipt of the tender of resignation from its Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Nily Osman, such resignation effective as of September 15, 2022.
The Company has appointed Dr. William K. Schmidt, Ph.D. as the Company’s interim Chief Medical Officer, effective as of September 15, 2022. Set forth below is the business experience of Dr. Schmidt, who also serves as the Company’s Senior Vice President of Clinical Development.
Dr. Schmidt, age 72, served as Ensysce’s Chief Medical Officer between January 1, 2016 and April 18, 2022. Between April 18, 2022 and September 15, 2022 he served as the Company’s Senior Vice President of Clinical Development. He is also the Head of NorthStar Consulting, the Parliamentarian and a former president of the Eastern Pain Association, the largest regional affiliate of the American Pain Society. He has over 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience with a special emphasis on the discovery and development of novel analgesic and narcotic antagonist drugs. He was previously Vice President of Clinical Development for CrystalGenomics (Seoul, South Korea) and its United States subsidiary, CG Pharmaceuticals (Emeryville, CA); Senior Vice President of Development at Limerick BioPharma; Vice President, Clinical Research, for Renovis, Inc.; and Vice President, Scientific Affairs and acting Vice President, Clinical Research and Development, at Adolor Corporation. At Adolor Corporation, Dr. Schmidt was a key member of the team leading to the clinical development, NDA filing, and FDA approval of Entereg® (alvimopan), a peripherally-acting opioid antagonist. Currently Dr. Schmidt serves as an expert on pain medicine pharmaceutical development with pharmaceutical and biotech companies throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. Dr. Schmidt received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California Berkeley and his Ph.D. University of California-San Francisco.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit No. | | Description |
| 104 | | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Dated: September 16, 2022
| | Ensysce Biosciences, Inc. |
| | | |
| | By: | /s/ Lynn Kirkpatrick |
| | Name: | Dr. Lynn Kirkpatrick |
| | Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer |
