Avicanna Announces Participation in a Medical Cannabis Real-World Evidence (MC-RWE) Clinical Study Led by the University Health Network in Partnership with Medical Cannabis by Shoppers™ Inc. using its Rho Phyto™ Advanced Medical Cannabis Formulary of Products
Rho Phyto products include a full formulary of products including oil drops, sublingual sprays, capsules, and topicals that have controlled dosing, enhanced absorption and stability studies supported by pre-clinical data and will be available exclusively on the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers™ online portal by the end of July 2020.
This first-of-its-kind Canadian study is led by Dr. Hance Clarke, Director of Pain Services at Toronto General Hospital, and will examine the efficacy of a select group of medical cannabis products including Avicanna’s Rho Phyto line of products on patient reported outcomes of pain, sleep and anxiety.
This specific study is aligned and in parallel with Avicanna’s comprehensive clinical program of other real world evidence studies involving the Rho Phyto products and clinical trials on its pharmaceutical pipeline with world class and Toronto based medical institutions.
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Toronto, Ontario – July 15, 2020 – Avicanna Inc. (“Avicanna” or the “Company“) (TSX: AVCN) (OTCQX: AVCNF) (FSE: 0NN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products is pleased to announce that its Rho Phyto™ product line of advanced medical cannabis products will be the subject of a Medical Cannabis Real-World Evidence study (“MC-RWE Study”) led by Dr. Hance Clarke of the University Health Network (“UHN”) in Toronto, Canada. The Rho Phyto products were developed in accordance with the recent Health Canada Cannabis 2.0 regulations for that allow for more advanced, higher quality, medical cannabis product offerings. These products have been tested for prolonged stability, enhanced absorption, controlled delivery and other properties in collaboration with Christine Allen’s research group at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto.
The Rho Phyto medical cannabis product line is a full formulary that includes sublingual sprays, oil drops, capsules, and topicals in various ratios of cannabinoids, namely THC and CBD. Having different delivery systems makes it possible for the medical community to select the appropriate Rho Phyto product to suit a range of medical conditions such as pain relief that requires a fast onset of action or prolonged duration of effect over the course of treatment. The products are manufactured under good manufacturing practice (“GMP”) in partnership with Medipharm Labs Inc. to ensure batch-to-batch consistency and high-quality products. This also allows for data derived from this study to provide early insights into Avicanna’s ongoing and future directions of pharmaceutical development. Avicanna remains committed to patient safety and product consistency which is why all products subject to the MC-RWE Study are tested by Sigma Analytical and tracked by TruTrace Blockchain Technologies.
Dr. Justin Grant, Avicanna’s Executive Vice President of Scientific Affairs commented, “After 3 years of collaborating with world class Toronto-based researchers and clinicians including those at the University of Toronto and UHN, we are excited to offer the most consistent formulary of advanced medical cannabis products to prescribers and principal investigators, including Dr. Clarke, to further demonstrate the potential therapeutic efficacy of cannabinoids.”
Avicanna’s Rho products will be exclusively available to patients through the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers™ Inc. portal in addition to UHN clinicians through the MC-RWE Study by the end of July 2020. Additionally, Avicanna and Medical Cannabis by Shoppers™ Inc. are co-hosting a medical symposium in line with the launch of the Rho Phyto product line entitled, “MEDICAL CANNABIS 2.0: Advancements in Cannabinoid Research, Product Offerings and Patient Access”. The symposium will be held on a virtual platform on July 21, 2020 and will include Dr Clarke’s presentation “Real World Evidence and The Future of Medical Cannabis / Cannabinoid medicine for Pain Management” that will provide further insights on the MC-RWE Study. For registration and more information please visit (https://www.avicanna.com/symposium/).
About Avicanna Inc.
Avicanna is an Ontario, Canada based corporation focused on the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products through its two main business segments, cultivation and research and development.
Avicanna’s two majority-owned subsidiaries, Sativa Nativa S.A.S. and Santa Marta Golden Hemp S.A.S., both located in Santa Marta, Colombia are the base for Avicanna’s cultivation activities. These two companies are licensed to cultivate and process cannabis for the production of cannabis extracts and purified cannabinoids including cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Avicanna’s research and development business is primarily conducted out of Canada at its headquarters in the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Centre, JLABS @ Toronto. Avicanna’s scientific team develops products, and Avicanna has also engaged the services of researchers at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto for the purpose of optimizing and improving upon its products.
Avicanna’s research and development and cultivation activities are focused on the development of its key products, including plant-derived cannabinoid pharmaceuticals, phyto-therapeutics, derma-cosmetics, and Extracts (defined as plant-derived cannabinoid extracts and purified cannabinoids, including distillates and isolates), with a goal of eventually having these products manufactured and distributed through various markets.
SOURCE Avicanna Inc.
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For more information about Avicanna, visit www.avicanna.com, call 1-647-243-5283, or contact Setu Purohit, President by email info@avicanna.com.
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