Unique Cannabis-Pharma Companies Trailblazing the Medical Cannabis Industry
March 16 2017 - 9:30AM
InvestorWire
New York, New York (NetworkNewsWire) – The cannabis industry has
swiftly turned into a multi-billion dollar opportunity. In the
United States, this market’s massive growth potential is being
recognized as new states legalize marijuana for medical or
recreational use. Industry experts forecast the U.S. cannabis
market rounding $7 billion in 2016, while the annual sale of
state-legal cannabis products is forecast to exceed $20 billion by
2020. Within this flourishing market, cannabis-pharma companies
like India Globalization Capital (IGC) (IGC
Profile), Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ZYNE), OWC
Pharmaceutical Research Corp. (OWCP), Insys Therapeutics, Inc.
(INSY) and GW Pharmaceuticals plc (GWPH)
are carving lanes of unprecedented opportunities in the medical
field.
Bethesda, Maryland-based India Globalization Capital
(IGC) (IGC
Profile) is advancing the development of
cannabis-based therapies targeting large market conditions and
illnesses. IGC is on a mission to treat chronic and terminal
neurological and oncological diagnoses and other life altering
conditions utilizing an exciting and specialized IP platform that
formulates and tests combination therapies. With this special focus
in mind, IGC has amassed a portfolio of patent filings covering the
indications of pain, medical refractory epilepsy and cachexia
(cancer-induced anorexia) using cannabinoids. As we will further
discuss later, IGC has established an approach that significantly
differentiates the company from its cannabis-pharma peers.
Like IGC, Zynerba Pharmaceuticals (ZYNE) is
dedicated to the development of innovative cannabinoid treatments
that target seizures and pain. Unlike IGC and Cannabics, this
clinical-stage, specialty pharmaceutical company is concentrating
on developing transdermal synthetic cannabinoid treatments. On
March 13, 2017, the company announced that it had completed
enrolling patients for Phase 2 of its STAR 1 (Synthetic Transdermal
Cannabidiol for the Treatment of Epilepsy) clinical trial
evaluating ZYN002 cannabidiol (CBD) gel in adult epilepsy patients
with refractory focal seizures. Zynerba also revealed that it had
completed enrollment for its Phase 2 STOP (Synthetic Transdermal
Cannabidiol for the Treatment of Knee Pain due to Osteoarthritis)
clinical trial evaluating ZYN002 CBD gel for the treatment of
osteoarthritis.
OWC Pharmaceutical (OWCP), through its wholly
owned One Word Cannabis Ltd. Israeli subsidiary, is focused on
conducting medical research and pursuing clinical trials to develop
cannabis-based pharmaceuticals and treatments for a variety of
conditions. The company is developing two unique delivery systems
to effectively dose and deliver medical cannabis. The first is a
proprietary, cannabinoid-enriched sublingual tablet for the
treatment of multiple myeloma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and
fibromyalgia. In in-vitro testing, the tablets demonstrated 100%
malignant cell death in 60% of infected mice cells. The second
product is a proprietary topical compound for the treatment of
psoriasis. In addition, OWC Pharmaceutical operates a Consulting
Division created to help governments and companies navigate complex
international cannabis regulatory frameworks.
Another industry peer, Insys Therapeutics, Inc.
(INSY), is developing medications to treat addiction to
opioids, opioid overdose, epilepsy and other disease areas with
high unmet need. The commercial-stage company uses proprietary
sublingual spray technology to develop pharmaceutical cannabinoids
to address clinical shortcomings of products already on the market.
Insys currently markets its FDA-approved SUBSYS® (fentanyl
sublingual spray) for pain management in cancer patients who are
tolerant to opioid therapy. The company has also received approval
for Syndros™ for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and
vomiting, as well anorexia associated with weight loss in persons
with AIDS. Syndros is an orally administered liquid formulation of
the pharmaceutical cannabinoid dronabinol, a pharmaceutical version
of tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC").
In terms of market share, the giant on the list of
cannabis-focused biopharmaceutical companies is GW
Pharmaceuticals (GWPH), which
is focused on the development of plant-derived cannabinoid
therapeutics based on its proprietary cannabinoid product platform.
The company’s primary focus is on disorders of the central nervous
system (CNS). Within this arena, GW’s lead cannabinoid product
candidate is Epidiolex® (cannabidiol), in development
for the treatment of rare childhood-onset epilepsy disorders. The
company’s Sativex® (nabiximols) prescription drug, a
therapy approved for the treatment of spasticity due to multiple
sclerosis, is the world’s first plant-derived cannabinoid
prescription drug. Additionally, GW boasts a deep pipeline of
additional cannabinoid product candidates which includes
clinical-stage compounds for glioma, schizophrenia and
epilepsy.
It’s an impressive and interesting lineup, but what sets
India Globalization Capital (IGC) (IGC
Profile) apart from the other players is its foray
into the larger market for cannabis-based combination therapies
that would treat pain and other conditions. The company recently
filed patents (http://nnw.fm/ggBB6) for formulations that will reduce
the side effects of single drugs by being combined with a
cannabinoid. IGC filed IGC-501 for a cannabis-based formulation to
treat neuropathic and arthritic pain in joints and muscles using a
variety of delivery techniques.
India Globalization Capital also filed
combination therapy formulations for the treatment of
epilepsy/seizures (IGC-502) and cachexia (IGC-504). IGC-501,
IGC-502 and IGC-503 are novel combination therapies that, if proven
out by clinical trials, are expected to treat pain, medical
refractory epilepsy and eating disorders respectively, with lower
side effects than conventional therapies.
Such “combination therapies” have the unique opportunity to
quickly move through the FDA’s approval process, since the drugs
have already been individually approved. Consequently, IGC believes
it has “first mover” advantage in pursuing this approach to bring
cannabis-based pharmaceutical products to market in a quick and
cost-effective manner.
The cannabis industry is growing in popularity. The wave of
enthusiasm surrounding the recent legalization of cannabis in
several new states is sweeping the country and IGC anticipates an
explosion in demand for cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical therapies,
technology, facilities and financial services. With a solid
strategic plan in hand, this NYSE MKT listed company has a modest
$9 million market capitalization which is just a fraction of their
peer group, and is aggressively leaning on its connections to
medical and procedural expertise to take advantage of one of many
ground-floor opportunities. And, it is developing innovative
therapies, while also acquiring technologies from related
industries that will place it in the right position for
capitalizing on its first-mover advantage.
For more information on India Globalization Capital (IGC) please
visit India Global
Capital (IGC) or http://www.igcinc.us
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