SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The New South Wales (NSW) Government, the University of Sydney, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, and Tilray, a global leader in medical cannabis research and production, today announced a groundbreaking research partnership to develop a novel treatment for nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy. Tilray is providing a proprietary capsule formulation for the proposed trial, which will allow researchers to trial an investigational product containing two active ingredients extracted from the cannabis plant, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
It is expected that a trial will begin later this year and will examine the safety and tolerability of a novel cannabis-derived study drug in patients undergoing chemotherapy. The trial will be conducted at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Sydney and at other sites in NSW and will be led by an interdisciplinary group of researchers with expertise in oncology and cannabinoids.
“Tilray is at the forefront of clinical research in the medical cannabis field. We are providing physicians and researchers with cannabis-derived study drugs that meet regulatory standards for human trials and which are based on studies indicating a high likelihood of success in treating specific diseases and disease-related symptoms,” says Dr. Catherine Jacobson, Director of Clinical Research at Tilray.
Tilray Global President Brendan Kennedy adds, “Australia has some of the most forward-thinking investigators in the field of clinical research on cannabinoids. We are excited to partner with the New South Wales Government and the University of Sydney to advance our understanding of the therapeutic potential, as well as potential risks, of cannabinoid use in specific diseases. We are impressed with NSW’s promotion of research to inform treatment with cannabis-derived medications in a number of diseases for which these medications are thought to be helpful.”
“We are very excited and optimistic about this partnership with Tilray,” says Associate Professor Peter Grimison, the principal investigator of the study, from the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and the University of Sydney. “We believe that Tilray is well positioned to develop appropriate medical products from cannabis. We envision additional future trials with products that they develop for other indications as well.”
CINV is one of the most distressing acute side effects of cancer treatment; it occurs in up to 80% of patients and can have a significant impact on quality of life.1 Many patients do not experience relief of their symptoms with the current drugs on the market or find that these drugs are too limited in their availability. The trial is expected to start as soon as regulatory approval and import permits are granted, which could be as early as this summer.
About Tilray
Tilray is a global leader in medical cannabis research and production dedicated to advancing the science and safety of cannabinoid medicine for patients with a diverse range of conditions. The company operates one of the largest and most sophisticated federally-legal medical cannabis cultivation centers in the world – a state-of-the-art, 60,000-sq.-ft., $26 million facility in Nanaimo, British Columbia.
1 http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/nausea/nausea-hp-pdq
