BioPharma

5 companies mixing medicine and marijuana

From eye drops for glaucoma to chewing gum for irritable bowel syndrome, derivatives of cannabis are making their way into FDA trials in pursuit of a biotech/pharma market projected to reach $20 billion by 2020.

Blackboard with the chemical formula of CBD

The chemical formula of CBD

From eye drops for glaucoma to chewing gum for irritable bowel syndrome, derivatives of cannabis are making their way into FDA trials, fueling a biotech/pharma market that could be worth $20 billion by 2020.

Chief among the molecules of interest is cannabidiol or CBD. Like THC, CBD is believed to have a variety of therapeutic benefits. It does not, however, deliver a hallucinogenic high, making it more suitable for children and adults hoping to live a normal life while taking substantial doses.

Below are five biopharma companies pursuing such therapies, each with its own take on drug delivery and treatment for a diverse range of diseases and disorders.

Zynerba Pharmaceuticals
Devon, Pennsylvania-based Zynerba has both a synthetic gel and a patch that can deliver CBD transdermally. In a field dominated by recent startups, Zynerba is relatively advanced. It went public in 2015, raising $42 million while furthering awareness for the field.

According to its website, the company is expecting top-line results from two Phase 2 trials of its proprietary CBD gel in the first half of 2017. One study is investigating its use in adults with refractory epilepsy, while the other is exploring its value as an analgesic for osteoarthritis in knees. Earlier-stage research is underway in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), autoimmune disorders and cancer-related pain.

Axim Biotechnologies
Axim is developing CBD-based chewing gums that can deliver a longer-lasting effect. The company also believes the act of chewing can enhance the product’s neuroprotective properties. 

Axim’s MedChewRx is currently being evaluated as a treatment for spasticity and pain related to multiple sclerosis. An alternative formulation, CanChew Plus CBD Gum, is poised to enter the clinic as a potential treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Further research is underway for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. 

Kalytera Therapeutics
Kalytera is designing CBD prodrugs and formulations that can overcome several limitations associated with natural CBD, including poor oral bioavailability and a short half-life.

The company has powered into 2017, with three major announcements in January. Kalytera acquired Talent Biotechs, an Israeli company also in the CBD space. On January 11, it went public on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX).

The following week it announced preliminary results from a Phase 2a trial for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). According to the news release, 15 percent of patients in the CBD treatment group developed Grade 2-4 GvHD, significantly lower than the 60-70 percent incidence rate observed using historical controls. Its early days but promising.

Insys Therapeutics
Insys stands out as one of the few established companies venturing into the cannabis space. Based in Chandler, Arizona, the company went public in 2003 and has since commercialized Subsys, a sublingual opioid painkiller. Insys is now applying its sublingual spray technology to deliver CBD for a variety of pediatric epilepsies, including Dravet Syndrome, infantile spasms and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome.

Nemus Bioscience
In Costa Mesa, California, Nemus Biosciences is evaluating a wide range of CBD compounds with different chemical structures. It cites six distinct cannabis extracts, which have varied effects.

The company is developing cannabinoids for a range of eye pathologies, particularly those associated with the posterior compartment of the eye. One of its two lead assets, NB1111, is cannabidiol-based eye drop for glaucoma.

In January 2017, Nemus signed a research agreement with the University of Mississippi to study the painkilling properties of NB2111 as a possible opioid-alternative. The same partnership has seeded a preclinical program for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a hard-to-treat bacterial infection.

Photo: Zerbor, Getty Images

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