Tilray has imported medical cannabis to USA and Canada in support of a new trieal, first-of-its-kind, which will test the efficacy of cannabis as a treatment for taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy, which affects 67 percent of women undergoing breast cancer treatment.
NANAIMO, British Columbia–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tilray, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY), a global pioneer in cannabis research, cultivation, production and distribution, today announced it has successfully imported medical cannabis into the United States from Canada in support of a new clinical trial. The study will test the efficacy of medical cannabis in treating patients with breast cancer who are suffering from taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN) secondary to treatment with paclitaxel or docetaxel. This clinical trial is the first human study testing the effectiveness of medical cannabis to treat TIPN.
“We’re excited to support this groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind trial seeking to find a new treatment option for TIPN,” says Philippe Lucas, Tilray’s Vice President of Global Patient Research and Access. “Tilray is committed to advancing cannabis research through its support of clinical trials around the world as we continue to enhance our understanding of the potential benefits of medical cannabis.”
Led by Diana Martinez, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), and Margaret Haney, Ph.D., Professor of Neurobiology (in Psychiatry) at CUIMC, the clinical trial will be a randomized placebo-controlled study in which half of participants will receive an investigational product containing a combination of THC and CBD and the other half will receive a product with no active cannabinoids. Participants will be treated twice daily for eight weeks. Researchers are currently recruiting patients for the study.
According to Dr. Haney, “There is a critical need for randomized controlled clinical studies to test the efficacy of cannabis in patients. There is exciting preclinical evidence showing that THC and CBD significantly reduce TIPN, and our study will be the first to test this in a well powered clinical trial.”
TIPN affects more than 67 percent of women undergoing breast cancer treatment. As a result of TIPN, some patients must shorten their course of treatment and are unable to reap the full benefits of chemotherapy. Although currently there is a lack of effective treatment for TIPN, studies assessing the use of medical cannabis to treat paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain in mice have demonstrated positive results.