Intec Pharma Ltd, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing drugs based on its proprietary Accordion Pill platform technology, announced the initiation of a new clinical development programme for its Accordion Pill platform with the two primary cannabinoids contained in Cannabis sativa. Intec Pharma plans to formulate and test Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or AP-CBD/THC, for the treatment of various indications, including pain management. The company plans to initiate a phase I clinical trial with AP-CBD/THC during the first quarter of 2017.

Clinical testing by others appears to indicate that extracts of the Cannabis sativa plant containing known amounts of the active compounds (mainly THC and CBD) or diverse synthetic derivatives of THC are promising treatments supported by high-quality evidence, for painful conditions that do not respond to available treatments, such as chronic, neuropathic, inflammatory and oncologic pain.

AP-CBD/THC holds potential to address the major drawbacks of current methods of use and treatment with cannabis and cannabinoids such as short duration of effect, delayed onset, variability of exposure, dose variability, narrow therapeutic window and adverse events that correlate with peak levels.

“We are excited to be expanding our development work to include cannabinoid-based therapies. Current methods of use and treatment with cannabis and cannabinoids are short-acting, which leads to a variety of therapeutic obstacles and gives rise to the need to improve the efficacy and safety of cannabinoids as therapeutics. We believe our Accordion Pill offers a unique opportunity to provide a long-acting oral therapy of cannabinoids for various indications,” said Zeev Weiss, chief executive officer of Intec Pharma. “We believe that utilizing our proprietary platform technology may significantly extend the absorption phase for CBD and THC, thereby resulting in a prolonged and consistent therapeutic effect.”