Medical marijuana pioneer Brent Zettl jumps back into business with new startup

BuyWell Introduces Canada’s first Medical Cannabis Coverage Plan and Medical Cannabis Savings Calculator

Shoppers Drug Mart Granted License to Sell Medical Cannabis Online

RELATED STORY – Shoppers Drug Mart Is One Step Closer to Selling Cannabis

Health Canada approved the company’s application to become a licensed cannabis producer under Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) in September, after initially applying in October 2016.

Shoppers has said that it has no interest in producing medical cannabis, but the LP designation is required in order to sell the product to patients.

Under the current Health Canada regulations for medical cannabis, the only legal distribution method is by mail order from licensed producers direct to patients.

Altria buys 45% stake in cannabis producer Cronos for $2.4 billion

Aphria to acquire CC Pharma, strengthening foothold in German medical cannabis market

Acquisition adds new vertical and strategic operations in key region of global growth strategy.

Aphria Inc. (TSX: APHA andNYSE: APHA) today announced its proposed acquisition of CC Pharma GmbH, a leading distributor of pharmaceutical products to more than 13,000 pharmacies in Germany. The transaction, when closed, will strengthen the Company’s end-to-end medical cannabis operations and infrastructure in Germany, a key market in Aphria’s international expansion. It is anticipated that the transaction will close in January 2019.

“This acquisition strengthens our foothold in Germany, one of the most highly sought-after medical cannabis markets in the world,” said Vic Neufeld, CEO of Aphria. “CC Pharma is cash-flow positive and has significant experience with regulatory requirements and international logistics. It will be a strong addition to Aphria’s presence in Germany, providing deeper access to the important pharmacist channel and advancing our ambitious global growth strategy.”

Founded in 1999, CC Pharma is a leading importer and distributor of EU-pharmaceuticals for the German market, with over €200 million in annual revenue. Aphria, through its subsidiary Aphria International, previously announced a supply agreement with CC Pharma to export approximately 1,200 kilograms of medical cannabis products from Canada to Germany. With Aphria’s experience as a global cannabis leader, the Company will create a new division of CC Pharma dedicated to medical cannabis. CC Pharma operates a production, repackaging and labeling facility at its headquarters in Densborn.

“We are pleased to join forces with a premier global cannabis company, whose commitment to quality, safety and patient care closely aligns with our own. This is an exciting opportunity to build on our established network and advance our participation in a rapidly growing, emerging industry,” said Dr. Manfred Ziegler, Managing Director of CC Pharma.

The transaction will bolster Aphria’s growing presence in Germany, which includes a three-pronged approach covering demand, supply and distribution. Earlier this year, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Aphria Deutschland (“Aphria Germany”), acquired a 25.1 per cent interest in Berlin-based Schöneberg Hospital, providing access to both doctors and patients to support education about the benefits of medical cannabinoids. It was also the first step in Aphria Germany’s plans to build and operate pain treatment centres throughout Germany.

To secure a constant delivery of imported cannabis for German patients, the Company is building one of the biggest state-of-the-art GMP certified cannabis vaults in Bad Bramstedt, northern Germany, with a storage capacity of 5,000 kilograms. To prepare for in-country cultivation in Germany, Aphria is planning on building a Research and Development indoor growing facility in Neumünster, Germany.

“We are focused on leading the way in the medical cannabis market in Germany,” said Hendrik Knopp, Managing Director of Aphria Germany. “By combining Aphria’s expertise with CC Pharma’s established local market presence, we are well positioned to continue on that journey.”

Aphria will pay €24.5 million in cash to CC Pharma at closing, with an earn-out multiple on future EBITDA of up to another €23.5 million following closing, if certain performance milestones are met.

We Have A Good Thing Growing

About Aphria
Aphria is a leading global cannabis company driven by an unrelenting commitment to our people, product quality and innovation. Headquartered in Leamington, Ontario – the greenhouse capital of Canada – Aphria has been setting the standard for the low-cost production of safe, clean and pure pharmaceutical-grade cannabis at scale, grown in the most natural conditions possible. Focusing on untapped opportunities and backed by the latest technologies, Aphria is committed to bringing breakthrough innovation to the global cannabis market. The Company’s portfolio of brands is grounded in expertly researched consumer insights designed to meet the needs of every consumer segment. Rooted in our founders’ multi-generational expertise in commercial agriculture, Aphria drives sustainable long-term shareholder value through a diversified approach to innovation, strategic partnerships and global expansion, with a presence in more than 10 countries across 5 continents.

Manulife launches Canada’s first medical marijuana program

WATERLOO, Ont. — Customers will get help navigating the different strains of medical marijuana and the different ways to take it. The Manulife Financial insurance company says it will launch the first medical marijuana program in Canada this fall in conjunction with Shoppers Drug Mart. Manulife says the program will be available as an option for participating group and individual health insurance plans.Under the partnership, Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacists will help Manulife customers navigate the different strains of medical marijuana and the different ways to take it.

Manulife customers will then be able to choose treatment that is covered under their Manulife plan and receive ongoing case management. The insurance company — which was already offering medical cannabis coverage to clients on a selective basis — says more details of the program with Shoppers will become available once the program takes effect.

“Manulife’s medical marijuana program will ensure people have appropriate advice, make informed decisions and receive the support they need to choose the appropriate strain for their condition,” said Donna Carbell, Manulife’s senior vice-president of group benefits.

Emblem and Canntab Therapeutics Announce Health Canada Approval for R&D of Cannabinoid-Based Oral Sustained Release Formulation

PARIS, Ontario, May 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Emblem Corp. (TSX-V:EMC) (TSX-V:EMC.WT) (“Emblem” or the “Company”) and Canntab Therapeutics Limited (CSE:PILL) (“Canntab”) are pleased to announce the receipt of Health Canada approval for research and development activities on oral sustained release formulations of cannabinoids (the “Sustained Release Product” or the “Product”), which are the proprietary products conceived by Canntab representing significant progress in Emblem and Canntab’s partnership to develop long-acting cannabis formulations.

“Product innovation, new formulations and dosage forms are critical pillars in Emblem’s competitive strength and growth strategy. Our licence agreement with Canntab is an important step in this direction. We believe that cannabis medications need to be in precise, dose-controlled formats supported by pharmacokinetic, dosing and clinical data to be most consistent, effective, and broadly accepted by prescribers and their patients,” said Nick Dean, President and CEO of Emblem. “We are thrilled that Health Canada has approved the research and development phase of our partnership with Canntab. The introduction of Canntab’s sustained release formulation presents a significant growth opportunity for Emblem.”

Canntab has brought development and processing equipment to Emblem’s Paris, Ontario location and will begin making the first pivotal batch of the Product this week using its patented technology and proprietary processes. This initial batch will undergo rigorous testing both internally by Emblem and Canntab and externally by third-party laboratories. Upon achievement of the Product‘s target design criteria, Emblem and Canntab intend to submit a full dossier to Health Canada for review and approval.

“The extended release tablet is the perfect pharmaceutical dosage form. It’s a game changer for the medical community and solves many problems for patients. We are excited to be working with Emblem to bring this innovative product to market,” says Jeffrey Renwick, CEO of Canntab.

Emblem and Canntab entered a collaboration and licensing agreement (the “Agreement”) in October 2017 related to development, regulatory approval, manufacturing, and commercialization of Canntab’s patent-pending Sustained Release Product.

Emblem and Canntab intend to collaborate on the preclinical formulation, clinical development, regulatory approval and commercialization of a range of additional cannabinoid containing pharmaceutical formulations.

Background on Cannabinoids
There is evidence that cannabinoids are effective for the treatment of a number of conditions, including (i) chronic pain, (ii) nausea, (iii) sleep disorders, and (iv) spasticity in patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Most conventional (immediate release) dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules, release the active drug component immediately after oral administration. In the formulation of conventional drug products, no deliberate effort is made to modify the drug release rate. Sustained release dosage forms are designed to release the active pharmaceutical ingredient at a predetermined rate in order to maintain a constant drug concentration over a specific period of time – resulting in a longer duration of action from a single dose and often with reduced side effects. Generally, this is done to achieve an improved therapeutic outcome and/or to enhance patient compliance. Immediate release dosage forms of cannabinoids tend to lose therapeutic effects in 4 to 6 hours requiring subsequent re-administration and the risk of reduced patient compliance.

Canntab’s Sustained Release Product is designed to release the cannabinoid content over a period of at least 12 hours. Sustained release formulations of pharmaceutical products are particularly valuable in the treatment of chronic conditions, such as chronic pain, where patients tend to need “around the clock” relief. There is evidence that cannabis is effective for the treatment of numerous conditions including neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain is estimated to affect over two million Canadians and the pharmaceutical market addressing the needs of those patients was about $500 million in 2016.

About Canntab
Canntab Therapeutics Limited is a Canadian cannabis oral dosage formulation company based in Markham Ontario, engaged in the research and development of advanced pharmaceutical grade formulations of cannabinoids. Canntab has developed in-house technology to deliver standardized medical cannabis extract from selective strains in a variety of extended/sustained release pharmaceutical dosages for therapeutic use. Canntab’s mission is to put the “Medical” into medicinal cannabis. Canntab trades under the ticker symbol PILL on the Canadian Securities Exchange.

About Emblem
Emblem Corp., through its wholly-owned subsidiary Emblem Cannabis Corporation, is a fully integrated LP (licensed producer) and distributor of medical cannabis and cannabis derivatives in Canada under the ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations). Led by a team of cannabis experts and former health care and pharma executives, it has three distinct verticals – cannabis production, patient education centers, and pharmaceutical dosage form development. Emblem trades under the ticker symbol EMC on the TSX Venture Exchange.

View original news release here.

 

Double-drug strategy blocks escape route for most lung cancers

A one-two combo punch using two currently available drugs could be an effective treatment for the majority of lung cancers, a study shows.

UT Southwestern Medical Center – A one-two combo punch using two currently available drugs could be an effective treatment for the majority of lung cancers, a study by scientists with UT Southwestern’s Simmons Cancer Center shows.

Researchers found that a combination of drugs — one targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and one targeting tumor necrosis factor (TNF) — effectively blocks the cancer from using TNF as an escape route. Using a mouse model, the researchers showed that when TNF is also blocked, the cancer becomes sensitive to EGFR treatment.

“There has been a tremendous effort over the past several years to block EGFR as a treatment for lung cancer, but this therapy only works in a small subset of patients. The cancer fights back with a bypass pathway,” said senior author Dr. Amyn Habib with the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern and a staff physician at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

“Blocking both of these proteins could be a treatment that is beneficial for the majority of lung cancer patients,” said Dr. Habib, Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics with UT Southwestern’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. for both men and women, according to the National Cancer Institute and in 2017, lung cancer caused 26 percent of all cancer deaths. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the type of lung cancer for which the EGFR/TNF inhibitor combination would be effective, comprises approximately 85 percent of all lung cancers.

The latest findings build on previous work by Dr. Habib’s lab showing that the same combination of drugs was successful in a mouse model of glioblastoma, a deadly type of brain cancer.

Researchers are now planning a phase 2 clinical trial of the two-drug strategy, and because the two drugs are already FDA-approved, they hope to be able to launch the trial within a year, said oncologist Dr. David Gerber with the Simmons Cancer Center, who will lead the trial.

The clinical trial being planned will test the treatment in both lung cancer patients and those with glioblastomas.

“If this strategy is effective, then it might be broadly applicable not only against lung cancer but also against other cancers that express EGFR, which include brain, colon, and head and neck cancers,” said Dr. Gerber, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Clinical Sciences.

Another advantage of the anti-EGFR/TNF strategy is that the drugs are well-tolerated. Both the EGFR inhibitors and TNF inhibitors fall into the category of targeted drugs, meaning they affect specific molecules within cancer cells, and therefore have fewer side effects. Traditional chemotherapy drugs, on the other hand, have broad effects, killing cells in both cancer and healthy tissue, and leading to many unpleasant side effects.

Until now, EGFR inhibitors have only been effective at treating the 10 to 15 percent of non-small cell lung cancers that have a variant of EGFR, but the two-drug combo could potentially work for all non-small cell lung cancers, explained Dr. John Minna, Director of the Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research and Professor of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology.

“This finding has the possibility of dramatically altering how we treat lung cancer,” said Dr. John Minna, who holds the Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research and the Max L. Thomas Distinguished Chair in Molecular Pulmonary Oncology at UT Southwestern, which is recognizing its 75th-year anniversary in 2018.

The research appears in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Other UT Southwestern faculty members who contributed to this research are: Dr. Boning Gao, Assistant Professor with the Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research and Pharmacology; Dr. Kimmo Hatanpaa, Associate Professor of Pathology; Dr. Kemp Kernstine, Professor of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery and holder of the Robert Tucker Hayes Foundation Distinguished Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery; Dr. Yang Xie, Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences and Bioinformatics; Dr. Hong Zhu, Assistant Professor of Clinical Sciences and with the Simmons Cancer Center; Dr. Farjana Fattah, Assistant Professor with the Simmons Cancer Center and Pathology; Dr. Masaya Takahashi, Associate Professor with the Advanced Imaging Research and Radiology; Dr. Bipasha Mukherjee, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology; Dr. Sandeep Burma, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology; and Dr. Jonathan Dowell, Professor of Internal Medicine;

Story Source: Materials provided by UT Southwestern Medical Center. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference: Ke Gong, Gao Guo, David E. Gerber, Boning Gao, Michael Peyton, Chun Huang, John D. Minna, Kimmo J. Hatanpaa, Kemp Kernstine, Ling Cai, Yang Xie, Hong Zhu, Farjana Fattah, Shanrong Zhang, Masaya Takahashi, Bipasha Mukherjee, Sandeep Burma, Jonathan Dowell, Kathryn Dao, Vassiliki A. Papadimitrakopoulou, Victor Olivas, Trever G. Bivona, Dawen Zhao, Amyn A. Habib. TNF-driven adaptive response mediates resistance to EGFR inhibition in lung cancer. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2018; DOI: 10.1172/JCI96148

UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Double-drug strategy blocks escape route for most lung cancers.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 April 2018.

Santen Pharmaceutical to Leverage Medidata Edge CTMS to Drive Future Growth in Ophthalmic Clinical Development

Company adopts Edge CTMS in Japan as part of rapid global expansion February 20, 2018 08:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

NEW YORK – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, is expanding its use of the Medidata Clinical Cloud® with the adoption of Edge CTMS (Clinical Trial Management System) to support its clinical trial operations, in ophthalmology, across Japan, Asia, USA and the EU. Santen becomes the first sponsor to adopt Medidata Edge CTMS in the Japanese market.

Santen Pharmaceutical to leverage @Medidata Edge CTMS to drive future growth in ophthalmic clinical development
Medidata is the leading global provider of cloud-based technology and data analytics for clinical research. As Santen strives to globalize its research and development operations, the company will deploy Edge CTMS to streamline trial activities, increase productivity and improve efficiency of trial execution.

Edge CTMS provides real-time visibility into clinical trial milestones, allowing Santen to evaluate operational effectiveness and implement changes rapidly. It also seamlessly integrates with Rave EDC, the industry-leading EDC solution, enabling Santen to dramatically speed trial execution by managing both study and trial data on a single unified platform.

“There is a growing demand to simplify, improve efficiency and create transparency across clinical trials. The Medidata Edge CTMS solution makes it possible for life science companies to achieve all three on our unified platform,” said Glen de Vries, Medidata president and co-founder. “We look forward to strengthening our relationship with Santen, and helping to streamline workflows across their R&D, globally.”

About Santen
As a specialized company dedicated to the ophthalmic field, Santen carries out research, development, marketing, and sales of pharmaceuticals. Santen is the market leader in Japan for prescription ophthalmic pharmaceuticals and sells products in approximately 60 countries. As a leading company in the field of ophthalmology, Santen aims to contribute to society by supplying valuable products and services to satisfy unmet medical needs. For more details, please see Santen’s website (www.santen.com).

About Medidata
Medidata’s unified platform, pioneering analytics, and unrivaled expertise power the development of new therapies for over 1,000 pharmaceutical companies, biotech, medical device firms, academic medical centers and contract research organizations around the world. The Medidata Clinical Cloud® connects patients, physicians and life sciences professionals. Companies on the Medidata platform are individually and collaboratively reinventing the way research is done to create smarter, more precise treatments. For more information: www.mdsol.com

Dry Eye Disease Market, Punctal Plugs, and Secretagogue; Distribution Channel

Hospital Pharmacies, Independent Pharmacies & Drug Stores, and Online pharmacies – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2017 – 2025

LONDON, March 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Global Dry Eye Disease Market: Overview – News provided by ReportBuyer

Dry eye is an ocular disease caused due to insufficiency or lack of tears in eye. Tears made up of three layers viz. lipids, mucin and aqueous keep eye moist and lubricated. Lack of tears lead to redness, burning, sensing and pain in eye. Dry eye disease also known as Keratoconjuctivitis Sicca is a common phenomenon, which is estimated to have prevalence of 8% to 34% across the globe.

Dry eye disease is categorized into evaporative dry eye disease and aqueous deficiency dry eye disease. Dry eye is a multifactorial disease, most of the currently approved prescription and currently approved dry eye treatment products are targeted to relief the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. The choice of treatment depends upon the type and severity of dry eye disease.

Global Dry Eye Disease Market: Scope of the Study
Market revenue in terms of US$ Mn for the period between 2015 and 2025 along with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) from 2017 to 2025 are provided for all the segments, considering 2016 as the base year. Market related factors such as technological developments, product innovation, expansion of healthcare infrastructure facilities around the world, and historical year-on-year growth have been taken into consideration while estimating the market size.

Growth rates for each segment within the dry eye disease market have been determined after a thorough analysis of past trends, demographics, future trends, technological developments, product development life cycle, and regulatory requirements. These factors would help the market players to take strategic decisions in order to strengthen their positions and expand their share in the global market.

On the basis of products, the dry eye disease market is categorized into artificial tears, anti-inflammatory drugs, punctal plugs, secretagogue and others. The anti-inflammatory drugs segment is further classified into cyclosporine, corticosteroids and lifitegrast. While the others segment includes oral omega supplements, oral tetracycline and eye inserts. On the basis of distribution channel, the dry eye disease market is categorized into hospital pharmacies, independent pharmacies & drug stores and online pharmacies.

Global Dry Eye Disease Market: Competitive Outlook
The competition matrix section included in the report is likely to assist the existing players to increase their market shares and new companies to establish their presence in the dry eye disease market. Key companies profiled include Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Novartis AG, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Allergan plc, Shire plc, TRB Chemedica International SA, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Senju Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sentiss Pharma Pvt. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Mitotech S.A. and FCI S.A.S.