- Over the past decade, opioid-induced deaths have been more likely to be due to prescription drugs than to illegal drugs.
- As scientists discover new ways to use the plant’s medicinal compounds, cannabis is seen as a possible solution to the opioid crisis.
- Several biotechnologists on the ASX list are researching and developing products in the growing medical cannabis industry.
In what has long been widely described as an opioid crisis, governments around the world are working to reduce the use of opioid painkillers and associated addiction problems, and some ASX cannabinoid companies think that could have the key.
Although associated with illegal drugs such as heroin, opioids have also long been used in medical settings to control acute and chronic pain.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies assured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to opioid painkillers, and healthcare providers began prescribing them to a faster pace.
However, the increase in prescription opioids led to widespread misuse of prescription and over-the-counter opioids before it became clear that these drugs could be highly addictive. In 2017, the U.S. had declared a nationwide public health emergency over the opioid crisis.
Back home, according to research by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, legal or pharmaceutical opioids have been implicated in more deaths and hospitalizations for opioid poisoning than heroin. Over the past decade, opioid-induced deaths have been more likely to be due to prescription than to illegal drugs, while there has been an increase in deaths from prescription drugs.
The total economic burden of prescription opioid abuse in the U.S. alone is $ 78.5 billion annually, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and participation in criminal justice.
Could cannabinoids be the answer?
As governments and the healthcare industry work to address the opioid crisis, those involved in the medical cannabis industry also feel they can be part of the solution.
Cannabis as a medicine is not new, used by ancient civilizations such as China, India and Egypt as a treatment for various diseases. But the increase in recreational use and the perceived harm to society meant that it has been largely outlawed in many countries over the years.
However, as scientists discover new ways to use the plant’s medicinal compounds, medicinal cannabis is now one of the world’s fastest growing industries. Legal cannabis spending is projected to exceed $ 60 billion by 2024 as regulations around the world begin to catch up with demand.
Research is mixed on whether medical cannabis will really solve the opioid crisis and be a viable alternative to pain treatment. A study published in Health Economics found that the implementation of recreational marijuana laws in 2017 in four U.S. states was associated with a decrease in visits to the opioid-related emergency department, but the decline did not persist. after six months.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) guide to the use of medical cannabis in the treatment of chronic non-cancerous pain in Australia offers comprehensive findings on medical cannabis for different conditions and is updated as new evidence emerges.
ASX biotech involved in research and development
Australia is seen as one of the progressive countries in the medical cannabis sector. There was a significant change in the Australian medical cannabis market in 2020 when the TGA regulations were changed to allow medicinal cannabis products to be sold as over-the-counter medicines according to the S3 schedule of the TGA.
Currently, medical cannabis is only available under the SAS-B scheme, where patients must obtain a prescription from a registered physician (medicinal cannabis product S4).
An ASX cannabinoid company interested in working to address the opioid crisis is Medlab Clinical (ASX: MDC)
Medlab has two cannabinoid products available under the Australian Special Access (SAS) regime: NanaBis (1: 1 THC: CBD) and NanoCBD (CBD only). Both are enhanced with Medlab’s patented nanoparticle delivery technology, NanoCelle, which uses an intraoral spray to the oral mucosa inside the cheek, preventing the first-pass metabolism (liver and intestine) that claims to deliver more effectively with a faster onset of action and reduced side effects.
NanaBis has completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials and is preparing a Phase 3 study. Ongoing observational studies have shown that both NanaBis and NanoCBD have significant results in pain management, quality of life and savings. of opioids.
“Obviously, opioids work and have a place in medicine, but regulators are working with industry to find better painkiller-type therapies; right now Nabilone (Cesamet brand) is interesting as well as opioid reduction therapies. So it is clear that we are all looking for better or better non-opioid painkillers, “Medlab CEO Sean Hall told Stockhead.
He said that efficacy, sustainability and safety will always be the critical features of any new drug application, so any candidate to reduce or replace opioid use must have the support of CMC (chemistry) packages. , manufacturing and controls), clinical trials and solid data. points that support long-term sustainable and safe use, and this should be wrapped in a final product that receives regulatory approval.
“Medlab now has more than 1100 Australians who have been using our NanaBis research product; of pain and improvements in quality of life and, most importantly, sustainability beyond 12 months with minimal or no adverse effects, ”Hall said.
“Along with the CMC and the clinical work done so far, Medlab has high expectations for NanaBis to move forward into Phase 3 trials and as a potential candidate to help with the global opioid crisis.”
While there are over 40 actions in ASX that are dedicated to cannabis to varying degrees, here is a list of other ASX biotechnologies involved in the research and development of cannabinoid products.
Althea Group (ASX: AGH)
Althea has a full range of 20 ml CBD oil products for patients. Its best-selling product, Althea CBD100, is a full-spectrum oral oil product that has been sold in Australia since 2019 under the special access scheme for medicinal cannabis.
The company said the move of the TGA to increase the limit to 150 mg is transformative and fits perfectly into its product range.
Incannex (ASX: HL)
IHL recently announced the signing of a stock purchase and sale agreement to acquire APIRx for about $ 125 million.
Several cannabinoid products in the portfolio, including CanQuitO, a patented chewing gum that combines cannabinoids and opioid antagonists to treat opioid addiction.
In a similar approach to Medlab’s NanoCelle nanoparticle delivery platform, APIRx also uses an oral mucosal delivery method, where appropriate, medicated chewing gum (MCG), to prevent first-pass metabolism (liver and intestine).
Among the 22 active clinical and preclinical R&D projects, APIRx is also investigating cannabinoid treatments for MS-related pain and spasticity.
Zelira Therapeutics (ASX: ZLD)
Zelira has been working to expand its portfolio of chronic pain cannabinoid products.
The company believes there is clear potential for using cannabinoids to reduce opioid use in patients requiring chronic pain treatment.
Zelira Therapeutics has partnered with St Vincent and Emyria Hospital (ASX: EMD) to study the effect of cannabinoid medications on people who depend on high doses of opioids to control their chronic pain.
The successful results of the Phase 1 clinical trial found that treatment with cannabinoid-based drugs was well tolerated without serious adverse effects. In addition, there was a dose-sensitive improvement in subjective measures of pain, stress, anxiety, and depression.
Bod Australia (ASX: BOD)
Bod has just completed a proof-of-concept study on the safety and effectiveness of a cannabigerol (CBG).
CBG is a dominant cannabis extract that has shown very promising results in the clinic.
Preliminary research has indicated that CBG has unique pharmacological actions and has the potential to address alternative therapeutic areas to THC and CBD.
The study will be the basis for the launch of a new cannabis medicinal product that will be sold under Bod’s existing medical cannabis brand as MediCabilisTM CBG 50, which is slated for release this month.
Meanwhile, the first patients have enrolled in Bod’s Phase IIB clinical trial on the use of CBD formulations to treat insomnia.
The trial is being conducted with Woolcock, Australia’s leading sleep research organization, and will study 200 participants over eight weeks.
A successful test could see Bod introduce a new product to the market under the TGA Schedule 3 market, meaning a pharmacist can sell over-the-counter to over-the-counter consumers.
Emyria (ASX: EMD)
Emyria announced in May that EMD-RX5, its ultrapure CBD capsule, has demonstrated excellent bioavailability and a dose delivery profile in the Phase 1 study.
The Phase 1 Pharmacokinetic Crossover Study with Epidyolex, the only CBD drug registered by the TGA and FDA to treat psychological distress, showed excellent safety and tolerability without gastrointestinal discomfort or adverse events. test dose of 150 mg.
The study also showed that EMD-RX5 has a bioavailability equivalent to Epidyolex and twice the bioavailability compared to other plant-derived CBD products with published pharmacokinetic data.
Aside from psychological distress, EMD-RX5 is being studied for multiple other indications.
Creso Pharma (ASX: CPH)
Creso develops therapeutic, nutraceutical and lifestyle products derived from cannabis and hemp, both for humans and animals. The company has named Canadian Bruce Linton, whose name is synonymous with the nascent global medical cannabis industry, as a non-executive director.
By partnering with global companies in critical areas of product research and development, manufacturing and distribution, Creso is working to accelerate the development and distribution of approved products that allow wide access by patients and consumers.
Missing stock in our list? Let me know at [email protected]
At Stockhead, we explain it as it is. Although Creso Pharma, Medlab and Incannex are advertisers for Stockhead, they did not sponsor this article.
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