Panaxia, Rafa, PlantEXT to co-develop next-gen medical cannabis products

Panaxia Pharmaceutical Industries Israel and the pharmaceutical company Rafa, announced the signing of a collaboration agreement with PlantEXT Ltd., an Israeli-Canadian medical cannabis company.

According to the agreement, the parties will co-develop the next generation of medical cannabis products intended for patients suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and who are authorized to receive treatment with medical cannabis. The treatment consists of medical cannabis suppositories, which contain a proprietary composition based on a combination of defined and precise active ingredients from the cannabis plant. The novelty lies in the fact that for the first time, a medical cannabis product will be developed in order to offer a targeted solution to patients suffering from Crohn's disease and Colitis, in order to decrease the level of inflammation in the intestine.

Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis) are chronic diseases that can appear at any age. Now for the first time, treatment with medical cannabis for these patients will be delivered utilizing an accepted, conventional pharmaceutical delivery system, and which is based on clinical research. This will offer a potential solution and increase accessibility of the treatment to a greater number of patients who need it and are eligible to receive it.

According to Dr. Dadi Segal, Panaxia CEO, "Panaxia has already gained proven and successful experience with cannabis suppositories in the American market. The agreement that was signed today is an additional milestone in revolutionizing accessibility of medical cannabis also in Israel, which we are leading together with Rafa. By enabling cannabis accessibility via traditional pharmaceutical delivery systems, and which are not based on smoking, we are striving to enable patients who are eligible for medical cannabis treatment, for a wide range of diseases, to be able to benefit from its unique attributes, subject at all times to the advice of a qualified medical specialist."

According to Prof. Hinanit Koltai, a leading researcher at PlantEXT and at the Volcani Institute, Israel's Agricultural Research Organization, whose research created the formulation included in the treatment, "The active ingredients should be identified and separated from the cannabis plant for treatment of each medical indication. In cases of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, we must find the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) from the plant, which are the most active compositions from cannabis that may substantially reduce colon inflammation. Following, these API should be delivered directly to the designated place of action, for example by using suppositories."

The active ingredients in the rectal cannabis suppositories are absorbed at a relatively fast rate through the many blood vessels and are not first metabolized by the liver, unlike medications that are taken orally. As a result, the biological availability of the active ingredients rises on the one hand, and a speedy physical response occurs on the other hand.