NRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: NRXP) and HOPE Therapeutics, Inc. Announce Strategic Investor Relations Partnership with astr partners

WILMINGTON, Del., June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: NRXP) ("NRx Pharmaceuticals", "NRx" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, and HOPE Therapeutics, Inc., ("HOPE," or the "Company"), a multi-site clinical care delivery organization and wholly-owned subsidiary of NRx, today announced a strategic investor relations partnership with astr partners, a boutique investor relations and capital advisory firm focused on the life sciences sector.

"We are pleased to partner with astr partners at this important inflection point for NRx, as we have filed an ANDA, are on the precipice of completing two NDA filings and are actively acquiring profitable interventional psychiatry clinics," said Jonathan Javitt, Chairman and CEO of NRx Pharmaceuticals. "Their depth of experience in biotech investor relations, broad relationships with specialist investors and the right investment banks, as well as their commitment to precision messaging, make astr the ideal team to help amplify the ongoing value story NRx and HOPE."

astr partners was founded by the industry veterans from The Trout Group, including Jonathan Fassberg and Brian Korb, who bring decades of combined experience in investor relations and healthcare capital markets. The Trout Group was the global leader in biotech investor relations, which was sold to PNC Bank. Jonathan and Brian later held senior roles at Solebury Trout and Oppenheimer & Co. The astr team works closely with biotech companies across a range of development stages — from early clinical to commercial — with a strong focus on strategic positioning and institutional engagement.

"We're thrilled to support NRx and HOPE as they advance meaningful neuropsychiatry therapies toward patients with critical unmet needs," said Jonathan Fassberg and Brian Korb, Managing Partners of astr. "Our team is excited to collaborate closely with NRx and HOPE to elevate their visibility and strengthen their relationships across the investment community at this key inflection point."

astr partners will work with the NRx and HOPE executive teams to execute a comprehensive investor relations program that includes investor targeting, message development, earnings preparation, conference support, and proactive investor engagement.

About NRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
NRx Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics based on its NMDA platform for the treatment of central nervous system disorders, specifically suicidal bipolar depression, chronic pain, and PTSD. The Company is developing NRX-101, an FDA-designated investigational Breakthrough Therapy, for suicidal treatment-resistant bipolar depression. NRx plans to file an NDA for Accelerated Approval for NRX-101 in patients with bipolar depression and suicidality or akathisia. NRX-101 additionally has potential as a treatment for complicated UTI.

NRx recently filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for NRX-100 (preservative free IV ketamine) for use in ketamine's currently approved indications. Additionally, the Company has initiated a New Drug Application filing for NRX-100 for the treatment of suicidal depression, based on results of well-controlled clinical trials conducted under the auspices of the US National Institutes of Health and newly obtained data from French health authorities, licensed under a data sharing agreement. NRx was awarded Fast Track Designation for development of ketamine (NRX-100) by the US FDA as part of a protocol to treat patients with acute suicidality and has filed a patent for this novel formulation with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

About HOPE Therapeutics, Inc.
HOPE Therapeutics, Inc. (www.hopetherapeutics.com), a subsidiary of NRx Pharmaceuticals, is a Healthcare delivery company that is building a best-in-class network of interventional psychiatry clinics to offer ketamine, transcranial magnetics stimulation (TMS), and other lifesaving therapies to patients with suicidal depression and related disorders, together with a digital therapeutic-enabled platform designed to augment and preserve the clinical benefit of NMDA-targeted drug therapy.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These statements include, among others, statements regarding the satisfaction of closing conditions necessary to consummate the acquisition of Kadima, Neurospa and Dura, and obtaining financing necessary to consummate the acquisitions. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as "may," "will," "should," "would," "expect," "plan," "believe," "intend," "look forward," and other similar expressions among others. These statements relate to future events or to the Company's future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Company's operations, results of operations, growth strategy, liquidity, whether the USPTO approves the Company's patent, and whether the FDA will approve the Company's NDA. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Except as may be required by applicable law, The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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SOURCE NRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.