NetworkNewsWire
Editorial Coverage: Many biotech companies are taking
advantage of widespread interest and acceptance of the potential
for cannabis-based products to treat a range of medical disorders.
These forward-thinking companies are developing proprietary systems
and delivery methods to drive their research and development
programs for a leading position in industry breakthroughs. Chief
among them is InMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CSE: IN) (OTCQB:
IMLFF) (IMLFF
Profile), which has made
groundbreaking progress in the pre-clinical research and
development of cannabinoids with its innovative proprietary
biosynthesis process. One of the most established companies in this
field, GW Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ: GWPH), is a
world leader in the development of orphan and non-orphan
cannabinoid products to treat neurological conditions, while
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYNE) is
developing innovative cannabinoid therapeutics based on transdermal
delivery mechanisms. While many biotechs rely on companies like
Canopy Growth Corp. (OTC: TWMJF) (TSX: WEED) and
Aurora Cannabis, Inc. (OTCQX: ACBFF) (TSX: ACB) as
critical sources of the medical-grade cannabis needed to conduct
their clinical research, InMed holds a unique position with its
in-house capabilities.
Biotechs involved in the research, formulation, and testing of
cannabis-based medical products from plant-based processes face the
onerous regulatory processes imposed by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The
FDA’s scrutiny against such products stems from inconsistencies in
active ingredient strength and quality, both of which may vary from
one crop to the next. In addition, pesticides can be hard to
remove, and crop fluctuations can affect yield. Producers are also
often strained by the time, effort, and expense, not to mention
chemical waste, required to manage high-yield cannabis crops.
Several biotechs have turned to chemical processes to produce
synthetic cannabinoids which can deliver consistent outcomes every
time, thereby overcoming some of these concerns and greatly
increasing their prospects of gaining FDA approval. However,
synthetic production can be expensive and can present potential
safety issues. It is difficult to synthesize compounds that are
identical to their natural counterparts, as the slightest
structural variations can affect the quality and safety of the
finished product.
A company that has developed a game-changing technology to
bridge the best of both the natural and the synthetic manufacturing
benefits is InMed
Pharmaceuticals (CSE: IN) (OTCQB: IMLFF). Using an
E. coli-based expression system, InMed has taken the lead
by developing a biosynthesis process that uses cannabinoid DNA to
create, in a controlled laboratory setting, compounds that are
identical to those found in nature.
The company is the world’s first known company to utilize this
biosynthesis manufacturing technique to create a biosynthetic
cannabinoid for the treatment of glaucoma. Using this cannabinoid,
InMed has formulated a hydrogel as a drug delivery mechanism for
the eye condition. Normally, eyedrops are used to treat glaucoma
through several applications a day. Conversely, the company’s
medicated hydrogel forms a film over the eye and only needs to be
applied once, at bedtime, to stay in place all night. InMed’s
pharmaceutical-grade biosynthetic cannabinoids are identical to
those found in nature and are more than 95% pure. They contain none
of the mind-altering chemical in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC), and are therefore free of any psychoactive properties.
Announcing a study co-sponsored by the University of British
Columbia, InMed earlier this week achieved another industry first.
The InMed-UBC study (http://nnw.fm/g3MWq) is the first ever to report
hydrogel-mediated cannabinoid nanoparticle delivery to the eye
resulting in enhanced drug uptake via the cornea and lens.
"Importantly, this study offers further validation of InMed's
capabilities in moving the science of cannabinoid pharmaceuticals
forward," InMed president and CEO Eric A. Adams stated in a press
release. "Results like this, combined with our expanding patent
portfolio and list of publications, on-going R&D, and renowned
scientific team and collaborators demonstrates our depth of
know-how and supports our trajectory to becoming an industry
leader."
The breakthrough that this achievement represents positions
biosynthesis as the technology of the future for cannabinoid
production across the board.
Companies, like InMed, that use biosynthesis for cannabinoid
production can produce all of the active ingredients needed for
their drugs in-house, eliminating the huge expenses of cannabis
growing facilities and addressing other concerns. By eliminating
the need for fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture-based
processing, biosynthesis is also a more eco-friendly and less
harmful production methodology.
By leveraging its proprietary systems for bioinformatics and
biosynthesis, InMed retains full control over its systems and
processes, making it far easier to predict clinical outcomes. The
company is scaling up its manufacturing process to complement its
biosynthetic cannabinoid development program and to accommodate
other biotech’s in their cannabinoid-based medical product
developments. On September 12, 2017, InMed announced (http://nnw.fm/8hO3S) its filing of an application for
a provisional patent covering its proprietary biosynthesis program,
positioning the company for eventual protection of its technology
in international jurisdictions.
With market capitalization of over $2.7 billion as of October
20, 2017, GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:
GWPH) is a global leader in the development of plant-based
cannabinoid therapeutics. Its primary focus to date has been on the
development of cannabinoid products for the treatment of
neurological conditions, including certain epilepsy syndromes. The
company developed the world’s first cannabis-based prescription
drug for the treatment of spasticity as a result of multiple
sclerosis. GW has other product candidates in its development
pipeline, including formulations for the treatment of glioma and
schizophrenia.
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:
ZYNE) focuses on the development of transdermal delivery
methods for synthetic cannabinoid therapeutics. The company’s
pipeline includes ZYN002, a patented gel containing synthetic
cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, for transdermal
delivery to patients with osteoarthritis and Fragile X syndrome. It
is also targeted for adults with focal seizures. On September 28,
2017, company shares rocketed by 54% in afternoon trading following
the announcement of positive results from mid-stage testing of
ZYN002. Zynerba’s other product in development, ZYN001, is a
THC-based drug for the relief of pain associated with fibromyalgia
and peripheral neuropathic indications.
Canopy Growth (OTC: TWMJF) (TSX:
WEED) operates the largest cannabis growing greenhouses in
the world, covering over 350,000 square feet. With a market cap of
almost $2.2 billion as of October 20, 2017, the company supplies
medical grade cannabis via one of its core brands, Bedrocan Canada,
a branch of Netherlands-based Bedrocan International. Canopy places
a high priority on producing consistent quality and providing a
critical service to biotechs. The company’s high-quality medical
grade cannabis is used for clinical research in several countries
in Europe. Via Bedrocan, Canopy Growth recently launched the EQUAL
Study, one of the largest clinical studies of its kind, to assess
the effects of medical cannabis use on quality of life.
Aurora Cannabis (OTCQX: ACBFF) (TSX:
ACB), based in Canada, is another grower of medical grade
cannabis with a smaller market cap of $814 million as of October
20, 2017. The company supplies both dried cannabis and high-margin
cannabis oils. Registered physicians and patients are offered a
portal by the company for the servicing prescriptions of their
products. Growth in its customer base and the average price per
gram of product sold were noted by Aurora as the reason for its
fourth-quarter revenues of $5.9 million in 2017.
All of these companies show a commitment to developing
innovative technologies and proprietary systems to drive their
businesses. The success and growth of these enterprises indicate
that the emerging cannabinoid-related medical product sector has a
bright future.
For more information on InMed Pharmaceuticals, please visit:
InMed
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CSE: IN) (OTCQB: IMLFF)
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