Marisa Wexler, MS
Atlas Biotechnologies will fund and provide support to three research projects at the
University of Alberta to possibly identify cannabis component(s) that could help people with neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS).
The cannabis plant produces hundreds of biological compounds, the
best-known being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the psychoactive compound
primarily responsible for the cannabis ‘high’ — and cannabidiol (CBD), a main component of medical marijuana.
Under the terms of the new agreement, Atlas Biotechnologies, which
focuses on developing cannabis-based therapies for medical use, will
provide funding — totaling just under $300,000 over two years — for
three separate research projects that will assess the benefits of
cannabis-derived compounds in three diseases: MS, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s.
In recent years, there has been renewed interest in how compounds in
cannabis might help people manage a variety of conditions. But solid
scientific evidence for such uses is lacking.
“A lot of people will tell you, ‘My mom had cancer’ or, ‘My friend
had an illness, and they took cannabis and it helped.’ But then for
other people they don’t have as effective results,” Jeffrey R. Gossain,
the chief operating officer of Atlas Biotechnologies, said in a
university
news story.
“Part of the problem is that you don’t really know what product they
took, how they dosed it or the combinations of chemicals in the product
that helped. It’s not as simple as just saying, ‘The plant’s got THC and
CBD.’ You’ve got to get a lot more detailed than that,” Gossain added.
Ross Tsuyuki, MS, PharmD, a professor at University of Alberta in
Canada, also noted: “People are touting (cannabis) for all kinds of
things, but without solid scientific evidence.” Still, “there likely are
benefits for some conditions.”
In addition to funding, Atlas will also provide the researchers with
materials, like cannabis compounds, produced at its facility. The
company has stated that furthering good research into medical cannabis
use is critical for its ability to bring effective products to market.
“Our vision is to have a product that will actually help patients
with these different ailments and make their lives better,” Gossain
said.
In the MS project, researchers
Anna Taylor and
Bradley Kerr will assess the use of CBD and other cannabinoids in the treatment of pain experienced by people with this disease.
“Our team is exploring the areas that we think have the highest
likelihood of success, and we will follow where the science leads,”
Tsuyuki said. “If it comes to the point where Atlas wants to develop
targeted products, we’ll be there for that as well. But for now we’ll be
the ones to give them the signals about what’s worthwhile to pursue.”
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