Columbia Care and Westmed testing precisely formulated cannabis-based drugs can relieve pain from arthritis

May 21, 2019 Off By BusinessWire

IRB-approved collaboration initiated to demonstrate clinical value of
Columbia Care’s precisely formulated, pharmaceutical-quality
cannabis-based medicine, ClaraCeed™, through rigorous scientific
research with leading medical practice in significant, underserved
patient population

NEW YORK & PURCHASE, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Columbia Care Inc. (“Columbia Care”, or the “Company”) (NEO: CCHW), one
of the largest multi-state operators in the medical cannabis industry,
with licenses in 15 jurisdictions in the US and the EU, and Westmed
Medical Group (‘Westmed’), an award-winning multispecialty medical
practice staffed by a team of 500 top physicians and advanced care
providers, today announced the initiation of a collaborative study
examining the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of medical cannabis
as a pain reliever in rheumatologic patients with inflammatory
arthritis. The collaborative study was recently reviewed and approved by
the White Plains Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB).

The research will be led by Dr. Jill Landis, M.D., board certified
rheumatologist at Westmed. The study will enroll approximately 100
patients and will examine the efficacy and safety of six months of
treatment with ClaraCeed™, Columbia Care’s patent pending hard-pressed,
high-CBD, broad-spectrum medical cannabis tablets, in combination with
patients’ current non-opioid pain regimens, to reduce patient-reported
pain outcomes. Patient Global Assessment and pain scores will be
recorded during monthly observational visits.

“Initiating this trial marks an important milestone for the
rheumatologic community, as it will be the first step in determining
whether a unit-dosed, precisely formulated cannabis-derived medicine can
relieve the pain of many patients suffering from arthritis, who are not
satisfied with their current treatment options,” said Dr. Landis. “We
are also collecting safety information regarding the use of medical
cannabis in the rheumatologic population, many of whom are taking
numerous other medications,” Landis continued. “This type of controlled,
regulated research is crucial to furthering our scientific knowledge of
the safety and therapeutic uses of medical cannabis products.”

Rosemary Mazanet, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Chair of the
Scientific Advisory Board at Columbia Care added, “We are privileged to
collaborate with Westmed and White Plains Hospital in this rigorous
scientific research study made possible by the consistency and
pharmaceutical-quality of our proprietary portfolio of medical cannabis
products. To our knowledge, the study is the first of its kind to
address this population of rheumatologic patients where a great unmet
medical need to decrease joint pain currently exists. We have seen
first-hand that our consistently-dosed cannabis-based medicines offer
much-needed relief as well as an improved quality of life for patients
who are suffering, and we are hopeful that this controlled research
study using our uniquely-formulated and patent-pending ClaraCeed™
tablets will validate these anecdotal findings.”

About Westmed Medical Group

Westmed Medical Group (“Westmed”) is an award-winning multispecialty
medical practice, staffed by a team of 500 top physicians and advanced
care providers, and 1,500 clinical employees who are dedicated to
providing patients with comprehensive, lifelong care. The practice has
13 locations in Westchester County, NY and Fairfield County, CT, and is
known for the convenience of its full-service medical facilities, and
national reputation for measured healthcare excellence. Westmed has New
York medical offices in White Plains, Rye, Yonkers, Purchase, Scarsdale
and New Rochelle, with Connecticut offices in Greenwich, Darien,
Stamford and Norwalk. For more information on Westmed, please visit www.westmedgroup.com.

About Columbia Care Inc.

Columbia Care Inc. (“Columbia Care” or the “Company”) is one of the
largest and most experienced multi-state operators in the medical
cannabis industry, with licenses in 15 jurisdictions in the US and the
EU. With over 1,000,000 successful sales transactions since its
inception, Columbia Care is a patient-centered organization setting the
standard for compassion, professionalism, quality, caring and
innovation, working in collaboration with some of the most renowned and
innovative teaching hospitals and medical centers in the world. The
Company is committed to providing the type of education and transparency
patients deserve and quality of product that clinicians expect. In New
York, among the many products Columbia Care manufactures and sells,
EleCeed™, TheraCeed™ and ClaraCeed™ are the flagship pharmaceutical
product lines and are available in tablet, vaporization, tincture,
suppository and topical formulations. For more information on Columbia
Care, please visit www.col-care.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking information” within the
meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation which are based
upon Columbia Care’s current internal expectations, estimates,
projections, assumptions and beliefs and views of future events.
Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology such as “expect”, “likely”, “may”, “will”,
“should”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “potential”, “proposed”, “estimate”
and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations
thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions “may”, “would”
or “will” happen, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking
information include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts,
projections, targets, guidance or other statements that are not
statements of fact. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of
the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, Columbia
Care does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it
is not possible for Columbia Care to predict all such factors. When
considering these forward-looking statements, readers should keep in
mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in Columbia Care’s
final prospectus dated March 21, 2019 and filed with the applicable
Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
The risk factors and other factors noted in Columbia Care’s Annual
Information Form could cause actual events or results to differ
materially from those described in any forward-looking information.