Bennu Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Bennu), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp., is responsible for the clinical development of internally discovered therapeutic candidates based on Raptor Pharmaceutical Inc.'s novel drug delivery platforms, and in-licensed clinical-stage products. Bennu focuses on drug candidates that are: 1) new chemical entities in mid-to-late stage clinical development; 2) currently approved drugs with potential efficacy in additional indications; and 3) treatments that Bennu could repurpose or reformulate as potentially more effective or convenient treatments for their currently approved indications.

On October 17, 2007, Bennu acquired the certain assets of Convivia, Inc., a pharmaceutical startup in preclinical development of a treatment for ALDH2 deficiency, an inherited metabolic disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. Bennu plans to initiate clinical studies of the Convivia product in 2008.

On December 17, 2007, Bennu acquired a clinical product candidate, Delayed-Release cysteamine bitartrate (DR Cysteamine). Bennu received the exclusive worldwide license to DR Cysteamine, developed by clinical scientists at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, by way of its acquisition by merger of Encode Pharmaceuticals, Inc., previously a privately held, development-stage pharmaceutical company.  DR Cysteamine is being developed for the ultra-orphan indication, nephropathic cystinosis, and other genetic and metabolic diseases.

For more information on all of our preclinical and clinical development programs, see Product Programs.

The name Bennu refers to a phoenix-like bird from Egyptian mythology, representing creation or renewal.