JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yissum Research Development Company Ltd. (Yissum), the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hadasit Ltd. (Hadasit), the technology transfer company of the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem, and the Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research (KIR) in the United Kingdom announced today that they have signed an exclusive worldwide licensing and collaboration agreement with ISA Scientific, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of cannabinoids as human medicine, for using the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), to treat serious medical conditions, including diabetes, inflammatory diseases (like arthritis, atherosclerosis and ulcerative colitis) and cardiovascular disorders.
The licensed intellectual property is the result of many years of research and collaboration between renowned cannabinoid scientists, Raphael Mechoulam, Professor of medicinal chemistry, and Ruth Gallily, Professor of immunology, both from the Hebrew University; the distinguished immunologist, Professor Sir Marc Feldman, Director of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology; and prominent physicians and scientists at Hadassah Professors Chaim Lotan and Ronen Durst, and Dr. Lola Weiss.
Yaacov Michlin, Chief Executive Officer of Yissum, stated: “We are very pleased with this business collaboration, which is a result of many years of multi-disciplinary cooperation between distinguished scientists in the field of CBD chemistry and biology, together with leading clinicians and researchers in the area of diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and inflammation diseases. We are confident that ISA Scientific is the right partner to translate these academic accomplishments into CBD treatments that will benefit patients worldwide.”
“ISA Scientific is pleased to be collaborating with Yissum, Hadasit and KIR in making the human therapeutic use of CBD a reality,” said Mark J. Rosenfeld, M.S., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of ISA Scientific. “The licensing agreement is very well timed because our Phase 1 clinical trials on dosing and safety are now underway in Israel, and arrangements for Phase 2 trials on treating diabetes and neuropathic pain are in process. It is important to recognize that very little CBD usually gets into the bloodstream when it is taken by mouth, and this inefficiency is a major obstacle to making oral CBD medicines with consistent dosing and reliable therapeutic outcomes. ISA Scientific has uniquely resolved this key problem with proprietary drug delivery technology now being integrated into our clinical trials. Besides maximizing the therapeutic utility of ISA Scientific’s CBD formulations, this technology also helps reduce production costs and thus the price of medicine to patients.”
“The licensed technology encompasses diabetes and other disorders of immense public health relevance, and these are impacting hundreds of millions of people around the world. That there is tremendous demand for alternatives to more successfully treat these diseases is an understatement. What ISA Scientific is doing to make efficient and affordable CBD medicine will prove eminently valuable in that regard.”
About Yissum
Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was founded in 1964 to protect and commercialize the Hebrew University’s intellectual property. Products based on Hebrew University technologies that have been commercialized by Yissum currently generate $2 Billion in annual sales. Ranked among the top technology transfer companies in the world, Yissum has registered over 8,500 patents covering 2,400 inventions; has licensed out 750 technologies and has spun out 90 companies. Yissum’s business partners span the globe and include companies such as Syngenta, Monsanto, Roche, Novartis, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Intel, Teva and many more. For further information please visit www.yissum.co.il.
About Hadasit
Hadasit, the Technology Transfer Company of Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) in Jerusalem, promotes and commercializes HMO's continuously generated intellectual property and Research & Development capabilities. IP generated by HMO has already gained global recognition due to Hadasit's successful enterprising of Hadassah's biomedical technology, including novel therapeutics, diagnostics and medical devices. Hadasit’s portfolio includes more than 200 active patent families tied to medical and commercial breakthroughs, including the cancer treatment liposomal-doxorubicin, developed with Hebrew University. For further information, please visit www.hadasit.co.il.
About KIR
The Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research is an independent charity based in the United Kingdom which focuses on supporting research into rheumatic and related musculoskeletal diseases. The KIR website is located at www.kennedytrust.org.
About ISA Scientific
ISA Scientific is a closely-held American corporation whose activities are centered on making non-psychoactive, safe and effective therapeutic products based on cannabis plant chemistry, for the improved treatment of debilitating and even life-threatening health conditions impacting millions of people worldwide as well as to help better health in general. The Company is distinctively proceeding down a commercial product development pathway that includes refereed human clinical trials, which it considers regrettably lacking for cannabis chemistry but essential to achieving regulatory approval and widespread acceptance by healthcare professionals. The Company is also positioned to become a major supplier of cannabis-plant chemistry, especially CBD. ISA Scientific has situated its research, development and production where most advantageous. The Company’s R&D occurs largely in Israel, the global center for cannabis-related research. Certain scientific and medical activities along with other matters of importance are strategically situated in the US and Canada. ISA Scientific is also distinctively located in China, where the therapeutic alternatives offered by cannabis chemistry could go far in helping to resolve conditions responsible for a huge public health crisis there. Refer to ISA Scientific’s website for more information: www.isascientific.com.
