Ananda Pharma PLC - CIPN Ethics Approval

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF REGULATION 2014/596/EU, WHICH IS PART OF UNITED KINGDOM DOMESTIC LAW PURSUANT TO THE MARKET ABUSE (AMENDMENT) (EU EXIT) REGULATIONS (SI 2019/310) ("UK MAR"). UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION (AS DEFINED IN UK MAR) IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

03 December 2025

ANANDA PHARMA PLC 

("Ananda" or the "Company") 

Ethics Approval for Phase 2 Clinical Trial for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Ananda Pharma plc (AQSE: ANA, OTCQB: ANANF), a UK-based biopharmaceutical company developing regulatory approved, cannabidiol medicines to treat complex, chronic conditions, is pleased to announce that combined ethics and MHRA approval has been received for the Phase 2 clinical trial investigating the efficacy of its investigational medicinal product, MRX1, for the treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN).

To view the supporting video and ask questions please go to our Hub: https://investors.anandapharma.co.uk/link/peg30e

The Phase 2 trial, led by Professor Marie Fallon of The University of Edinburgh and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) as an Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) grant, is designed to assess the efficacy and safety of MRX1 in the treatment of CIPN. It will also assess the impact of MRX1 on quality of life and health care utilisation. The trial is a double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover study with a target enrolment of 92 participants.

Ananda's CEO, Melissa Sturgess commented: "Regulatory and ethical approval for our CIPN trial marks an important milestone in our commitment to advancing evidence-based treatments for chronic and inflammatory illnesses. CIPN affects hundreds of thousands of patients every year, yet there are no approved treatments. We are proud to be working with Professor Fallon and the NIHR to evaluate MRX1 in this area of urgent clinical need. Our goal is to bring real relief to patients facing the double burden of cancer and its long-term complications."

CIPN is one of the most frequent chemotherapy side-effects, particularly of lung, breast, prostate, gastrointestinal, and germinal cancers, as well as different forms of leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. In the UK alone there are more than 140,000 new cases of CIPN each year and total prevalence of almost one million. In the US there are approximately 400,000 new patients each year at an annual healthcare cost of $2.5bn.

There are no effective therapies available for CIPN prevention, and symptomatic treatment is frequently ineffective. CIPN can continue to affect patients long after chemotherapy treatment has finished, and in some cases can force a reduction or cessation of chemotherapy dosing, increasing risk of death or prolonging treatment.

This regulatory and ethical approval allows the trial to now proceed toward patient recruitment and site initiation activities. Further updates will be provided as the study progresses with recruitment expected to begin in Q1 2026.

The Company announced on 24 November 2025 that it would be seeking approval from its shareholders to delist from the Aquis exchange. If shareholders approve the delisting at the general meeting to be held on 12 December 2025, then the delisting will be effective at 8.00 a.m. on 22 December 2025.

About Ananda Pharma

Ananda Pharma (AQSE: ANA OTC: ANANF) is a UK-based biopharmaceutical company developing regulatory approved, cannabinoid medicines to treat complex, chronic conditions, including endometriosis (funded by NHS Scotland) and chemotherapy pain (funded by NIHR). The Company is led by successful entrepreneurs and is working with a team of world-class scientists, including globally respected Key Opinion Leaders at the University of Edinburgh.

To stay up to date with the latest developments at Ananda, we encourage you to follow our social media channels which are:  

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For the purposes of UK MAR, the Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.