NEMUS Bioscience

Nemus Bioscience, Inc., founded in 2012 by Cosmas Lykos, operated as a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of cannabinoid-based therapeutics. The company was headquartered in Costa Mesa, and later Long Beach, California. Nemus established a strategic partnership with the University of Mississippi, which has been the sole federally-authorized entity to cultivate cannabis for research in the U.S. since 1968. This collaboration granted Nemus exclusive licenses to the university's intellectual property for developing cannabinoid-based medicines.

The company's business model was centered on advancing a pipeline of proprietary drug candidates through preclinical and clinical trials to address unmet medical needs. Nemus did not generate revenue from product sales during its operational period. Its strategy involved developing bioengineered and synthetic cannabinoid compounds, such as prodrugs and analogs, to improve bioavailability and optimize clinical effects. The lead product candidate was NB1111, a prodrug of THC designed as a topical treatment for glaucoma to lower intraocular pressure. Other preclinical programs included treatments for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (NB1222), methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (NB3111), and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Cosmas Lykos, a co-founder who served as Executive Chairman, brought extensive legal and corporate experience from his time at firms like Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and as general counsel for publicly traded companies. In 2015, Dr. Brian Murphy, with a background in drug development at major pharmaceutical companies like Roche and Valeant, was appointed CEO and Chief Medical Officer. A significant milestone occurred in May 2017 when Nemus secured a $20 million investment from an affiliate of Schneider Brothers Ltd. Subsequently, Emerald Health Sciences became the majority shareholder in January 2018 and provided a credit facility of up to $20 million. This led to the company rebranding as Emerald Bioscience, Inc. in March 2019 to better reflect its relationship with the Emerald Group. Ultimately, Emerald Bioscience was acquired by Skye Bioscience in a merger that concluded in November 2022.

Keywords: Nemus Bioscience, cannabinoid therapeutics, biopharmaceutical, University of Mississippi, glaucoma treatment, NB1111, THC prodrug, Cosmas Lykos, Brian Murphy, Emerald Bioscience, Skye Bioscience, ocular drug delivery, chemotherapy side effects, MRSA treatment, cannabinoid research, drug development, pharmaceutical licensing, clinical trials, bioengineered cannabinoids, pain management