Join our daily newsletter At The Bell to receive exclusive market insights
- Cann Global (CGB) is reporting positive results in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which may have wider applications in auto-immune diseases
- The research indicates a unique strain of cannabis can inhibit and even reverse the progression of MS
- The trials were conducted both in vitro (using human cells in a lab) and also in vivo (in live mice)
- The therapy requires further clinical trials before gaining market approval, but its potential applications in MS and other auto-immune diseases are significant and wide-ranging
- Cann Global is trading 14.3 per cent higher today at 0.8 cents per share
Cann Global (CGB) is reporting positive results in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which may have wider applications in auto-immune diseases.
The research indicates a unique strain of cannabis can inhibit and even reverse the progression of MS.
How it works
Cann Global has been collaborating with Professor David Meiri of the Technion University in Israel since February 2018.
Professor Meiri has identified a unique strain of cannabis that has been shown to slow down the progression of MS, and, in some cases, reverse the damage caused by the disease.
Auto-immune diseases like MS typically do their damage when the body’s immune response becomes overactive and starts to damage tissues and organs.
The unique chemovar identified by Professor Meiri can effectively kill CD4 T cells (the cells responsible for the runaway immune response) that have become destructive instead of productive.
The trials were conducted both in vitro (using human cells in a lab) and also in vivo (in live mice).
Next steps
Cann Global is now in discussions with the Technion team to delineate the parameters of new trials to test the efficacy of the chemovar in MS and other auto-immune conditions.
Since cannabis is already an approved therapeutic in Israel and other jurisdictions, phase one toxicity studies can be circumvented as the drug and its effects already deemed safe.
Cann Global says it will inform the market as the parameters of the planned studies are finalised.
Professor Meiri says the aim is to refine the therapy and seek market approval.
“We believe that we will create strong intellectual property relating to cannabis-based treatments of MS, and we will have preclinical results from isolated molecules with a better understanding of the dosing and mechanism of action,” David said.
“This additional research in isolating the molecules from the whole strains should ready us for the next development stage of ‘on shelf’ pharmaceutical grade products and an option to licence the molecules to the ‘real’ pharma industry.”
If the unique strain identified by Professor Meiri and his team prove efficacious against MS and other diseases in humans, the potential market for a low-toxicity, natural therapy could have huge ramifications for both sufferers and the company’s bottom line.
Cann Global is trading 14.3 per cent higher today at 0.8 cents per share as at 3:05 pm AEST.
