Avicanna launches new version of its oral CBD formulation in Canada
Access to RHO Phyto Micro Drop 10 will be via medical cannabis care platform
Avicanna has launched a new version of its proprietary oral cannabidiol (CBD) formulation, called RHO Phyto Micro Drop 10, in Canada.
The new product will be available to certain Canadian patients, including individuals with seizures, who have medical authorization through a medical cannabis care platform, according to a company press release.
The oral CBD formulation is found in Trunerox, an add-on treatment for seizures in people with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) that’s approved in Colombia. Trunerox is not approved in Canada.
Trunerox is made of 10% CBD, which is one of the most common nonpsychoactive cannabinoid compounds of the cannabis plant. CBD is able to mimic natural compounds by acting on brain receptors, which may cause seizures when they’re faulty.
According to the press release, RHO Phyto Micro Drop 10 also has 10% CBD. However, it was produced to be free of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an active compound in the cannabis plant responsible for the so-called high sensation associated with marijuana. THC also has been linked with anxiety, sedation, and psychotic symptoms (difficulty in recognizing what’s real and what’s not) in some individuals.
Oral CBD formulation could be used to treat Dravet, LGS patients
The new formulation that’s now available in Canada aims to enhance the absorption of CBD. It was designed using a technique called inverted emulsion.
A standard emulsion technique allows the formation of drops of two substances that don’t naturally mix together — like oil and water. As the name suggests, inverted emulsion forces the formation of water-in-oil drops. This technique enhances encapsulation efficiency in large biomolecules, according to the company.
Canadian patients will be able to acquire RHO Phyto Micro Drop 100 with a medical prescription exclusively at the MyMedi.ca medical cannabis care platform.
GW Pharmaceuticals’ Epidiolex was the first formulation of oral CBD to win approval for Dravet syndrome and LGS. In the U.S., it is approved for patients ages 1 or older with these seizure disorders.
In Europe and Scotland, the GW product is approved under the brand name Epidyolex to treat seizures in patients with Dravet or LGS, ages 2 or older, in conjunction with clobazam, an antiepileptic medication (sold under the brand name Onfi in the U.S.).
Coming up, on May 13 in Toronto, Avicanna will host its virtual 4th Medical Symposium, a daylong event. Titled “Cannabinoid-based Medicine in the Canadian Healthcare System,” its aim to to foster discussions on the science behind cannabinoid-based products. The symposium is open to healthcare practitioners, scientists and researchers, and the medical community. Those interested must register on the website by April 30 to get a ticket.
The symposium will feature a session of “Real-World Evidence Studies,” slated for the morning, regarding the use and therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids. Additional sessions include “Access to Medical Cannabis” and “Clinical Application. ”
Avicanna stated in its announcement that the company “continues to support the advancement of research and development of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products.”
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