Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. reported that on August 18, 2023 the Board of Directors, including Yutaka Niihara, M.D., Ph.D, determined that Dr. Niihara would no longer serve as Chairman of the Board, in order to allow Dr. Niihara to pursue business opportunities in Ube, Japan and in India previously initiated by Emmaus. Dr. Niihara was the principal inventor of Endari® (L-glutamine oral powder), which is approved in the U.S. and most of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries for the treatment of sickle cell disease, and long-time the Chairman of the Board of Emmaus. No rights of the company have been granted to Dr. Niihara in these regards, and he remains a director of the company. Emmaus also reported that on August 21, 2023, Willis Lee, who has long served as the Chief Operating Officer and a director of the company, and George Sekulich, the company's Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President Global Commercialization, were appointed as interim Co-Presidents of Emmaus, to serve pending the company's search for a Chief Executive Officer.