TORONTO, Jan. 10, 2019 /CNW/ - With the recent
legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada, a major gap has been revealed, and
that is a lack of scientific research on the health effects of its
use – both on the recreational and medical side.
The Lung Association – Ontario
and Tetra Bio-Pharma are excited to be partnering to fill that gap
by funding a research program that will investigate various health
impacts of cannabis use. The goal of this program will be to better
support patients and healthcare providers with evidence-based
information.
"It has become very clear that more research is needed to fully
understand both the effects of smoking cannabis on your lungs, and
the utility of medical cannabis as a viable option for chronic
disease pain management and treatment," says George Habib, President and CEO of The Lung
Association – Ontario. "The Lung
Association is thrilled to be taking the lead in filling these gaps
in knowledge."
The results of these important research projects will ensure
there is a larger evidence-base to pull from when educating the
public and healthcare providers about the impact of cannabis use on
lung health. It will offer healthcare providers more resources to
better inform the decisions they make on behalf of their patients
around the use of cannabis.
"Tetra Bio-Pharma is excited to join forces with The Lung
Association – Ontario to expand
knowledge on the impact of smoking a cannabinoid-derived product
through several pioneering research projects," said Dr.
Guy Chamberland, CEO and CSO of
Tetra Bio-Pharma. "Access to cannabinoid-derived medical therapies
is severely limited because of an absence of rigorous safety and
efficacy data. We are committed to supporting research excellence
to enable innovation but also to establish the evidence that
regulators, physicians and insurance companies are waiting
for."
The research funded as a result of this collaboration will be
driven by The Lung Association – Ontario. It will be fully peer reviewed and
administered in a completely arms-length manner from the Funder.
Funding recipients will be announced on March 28, 2019.
About The Lung Association –
Ontario
The Lung Association – Ontario is a not-for-profit organization
dedicated to helping all Ontarians breathe. Our community of
donors, patients, researchers, volunteers and professional staff
work to ensure Ontarians have healthy lungs, bodies and clean air
necessary to breathe. We achieve this by promoting healthy
breathing, supporting those living with lung disease and finding
future solutions. All of this is done with the goal of delivering a
future of better breathing for all.
About Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.
Tetra
Bio-Pharma (TSX-V: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) is a biopharmaceutical
leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery and development with a
Health Canada approved, and FDA reviewed, clinical program aimed at
bringing novel prescription drugs and treatments to patients and
their healthcare providers. The Company has several subsidiaries
engaged in the development of an advanced and growing pipeline of
Bio Pharmaceuticals, Natural Health and Veterinary Products
containing cannabinoid-derived molecules and other medicinal
plant-based elements. With patients at the core of what we do,
Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on providing rigorous scientific
validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing
bio pharma industry by regulators, physicians and insurance
companies. For more information visit: www.tetrabiopharma.com.
SOURCE Ontario Lung Association