Inventor of the Year Awarded to Developer of Phexxi®

-- Dr. Donald Waller Honored by University of Illinois Chicago --

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Evofem Biosciences (OTCPK: EVFM) is pleased to congratulate University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Professor Emeritus Donald Waller, Ph.D., on his recognition as Inventor of the Year for his role in developing novel therapeutics for the improvement of women's health, including Phexxi^® (lactic acid, citric acid, potassium bitartrate).

"The driver behind this innovation was to provide women with more control and more options for safely preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections," Dr. Waller said. "We started by looking at natural defenses — both against pregnancy and against pathogens, such as gonorrhea and other STIs. We found that many of the mechanisms that allow sperm to penetrate the egg parallel the ability of pathogens to infect cells."

Phexxi, the first innovation in the contraceptive category in decades, was approved by the FDA in 2020 for prevention of pregnancy.  Since Phexxi's initial launch, over 100,000 women have been prescribed Phexxi by nearly 21,000 health care providers.   

In October, Evofem expects top-line results from its registrational Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the vaginal gel for two potential new indications – prevention of chlamydia and gonorrhea in women. Positive study outcomes would enable regulatory submissions and potential approval for prevention of these sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in 2023.  

Preliminary CDC data for 2021 show that infections with these STIs continued to increase during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with no signs of slowing.

• Over 1.6 million cases of chlamydia were reported. Chlamydia usually has no signs or symptoms, and most cases are identified through preventive care visits. Therefore, CDC notes it is likely chlamydia was disproportionately affected by reduced screening during the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in undiagnosed infections.
• Reported cases of gonorrhea increased for the eighth consecutive year to 700,000. In 2020, about 50% of all gonorrhea infections were estimated to be resistant to at least one antibiotic.

"Dr. Waller has dedicated his research career to developing innovations that provide women with more control and more options for safely preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to him for this much deserved recognition." said Saundra Pelletier, Chief Executive Officer of Evofem.

Evofem Biosciences, Inc. is developing and commercializing innovative products to address unmet needs in women's sexual and reproductive health, including hormone-free, woman-controlled contraception and protection from chlamydia and gonorrhea. The Company's first FDA-approved product, Phexxi® (lactic acid, citric acid and potassium bitartrate), is a hormone-free, on-demand prescription contraceptive vaginal gel. It comes in a box of 12 pre-filled applicators and is applied 0-60 minutes before each act of sex. The Company expects to report top-line data in October 2022 from its registrational Phase 3 EVOGUARD clinical trial evaluating Phexxi for two potential new indications – prevention of chlamydia and prevention of gonorrhea in women. Learn more at phexxi.com and evofem.com.

Phexxi® is a registered trademark of Evofem Biosciences, Inc.

This press release includes "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including, without limitation, statements related to the anticipated impact the potential results of the Company's registrational Phase 3 trial and related implications on women's health and related markets. Various factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including market and other conditions, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of the date of this press release. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements, or that could impair the value of Evofem Biosciences' assets and business, are disclosed in the Company's SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2022, its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 filed with the SEC on August 12, 2022. and subsequent filings. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by such factors. The Company does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law. This press release contains estimates and other statistical data made by independent parties. This data involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates.

Contacts

Investors:
Amy Raskopf
SVP, Investor Relations
Evofem Biosciences, Inc.
[email protected]
(917) 673-5775

Media:
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SOURCE Evofem Biosciences, Inc.