Fast-Growing Cannabis Industry Drives Biotech Research, Innovative Medical Therapy Development

NEW YORK, January 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

NetworkNewsWire Editorial Coverage 

The rapidly growing cannabis industry has spawned a range of diverse companies focusing on innovative technologies for cannabis cultivation, as well as the development of cannabis-based medical therapies for an array of diseases and ailments. The market has given rise to biotech companies with exciting advances in product formulation and delivery. At the cutting-edge of innovation, PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (OTC: PRVCF) (CSE: PREV) (FSE: 18H) (PRVCF Profile) has developed an innovative cannabidiol (CBD)-based nose-to-brain delivery system for the relief of a number of medical conditions. Another company, Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (OTC: LXRP) (LXRP Profile) has developed its own proprietary system for CBD-based therapy delivery. And with a market cap of over $3.6 billion, GW Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ: GWPH) is an established giant in the cannabis biotech space developing plant-derived cannabinoid therapeutics. Canadian cultivator Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX: WEED) is an example of yet another company that could benefit from its therapeutic advances as the anticipated commercial availablity of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis products is met by greater demand.

The cannabis market is likely to surpass $31 billion by 2021, billowing from its value of $6.5 billion in 2016, according to a Brightfield Group report quoted by Forbes (http://nnw.fm/b75xW). A different report by investment bank Cowen & Co. estimates that the market will increase to $50 billion by 2026 (http://nnw.fm/wmv6C). This caliber of growth, to a large extent, is fueled by the increasing legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational use in Canada and in many states across the United States. As demand for cannabis-based medications grows, the market will become increasingly competitive, compelling companies to develop innovative therapies and delivery systems to gain more traction in the marketplace.

Diverse Portfolio Creates Multiple Market Opportunities  

Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (CSE: PREV) (OTCQB: PRVCF) (FSE:18H) started out in 2009 as a partnership between established businessman and venture capitalist Stephen Van Deventer, and entrepreneur Kimberley Van Deventer. The synergy of the pair's respective aptitudes led to the creation of Cornerstone Global Partners, a venture capital and business development company.

Today, PreveCeutical is a life science company that researches and develops innovative solutions for preventative and curative therapies through a combination of organic and Nature Identical™ products. With the preventative healthcare technologies market expected to reach $432 billion by 2024 (http://nnw.fm/UF8u8), the company has made a strategic decision to focus on warding off illness in the medically acute areas of diabetes, obesity, pain management, neurological disorders and cancer.

By maintaining a diverse portfolio of novel compounds and products, PreveCeutical is able to compete in several niches of the health care industry, including immunity-boosting sciences and medicinal cannabis.

PreveCeutical has a product, CELLB9®, an oral dilute solution utilizing select peptides from the blue scorpion, found only in the Caribbean region. PreveCeutical's "Nature Identical" research team is building on proprietary chemistry to produce controlled venom peptides that it hopes will be able to halt the progression of cancers, while also exploring the peptides' potential in responding to other medical concerns related to pain management, metabolic disorders, cancers, cardiovascular conditions and infectious diseases.

PreveCeutical is currently in a joint venture with Sports 1 Marketing to focus on the therapeutic potential of the Natural Identical venom's peptides and proteins to treat mild brain injury concussions in athletes.

The company is also currently working with four leading Australian research centers to develop a curative therapy for diabetes and obesity. This is a novel four-year program selectively targeting the gene that encodes for the protein PTP-1B, implicated and over-expressed in both Type-2 diabetes and obesity.

Globally, over $800 billion is spent on diabetes, with one person dying every six seconds from the disease (http://nnw.fm/2OqnS) in 2014, presenting to PreveCeutical significant market opportunity and the potential to alter the diabetes landscape.

Notably, PreveCeutical's innovative gene-silencing technology would effectively disable the genetic signal that leads to over-production of PTP-1B. This would bring this protein down to safe, normalized levels that would prevent the body from storing excessive fat.

PreveCeutical's Groundbreaking Sol-Gel Delivery System 

PreveCeutical in November announced its approval from the Environmental Hazards Unit of the Queensland Government (the Australian state-level authority) to acquire, store and use high-quality dried cannabis plant extracts, paving the way for the company to advance its R&D program for the commercialization of a new system for administering the drug (http://nnw.fm/47wwI).  

The company believes its Sol-gel platform will be the first FDA-approved, CBD-based nose-to-brain delivery system of its kind to provide relief for pain, inflammation, seizures and neurological disorders. PreveCeutical's proprietary nasal formulations will be designed for use by both adults and children. The company expects to have this delivery platform fully tested, approved and primed for deployment to licensed medical cannabis companies in 2019.

PreveCeutical's Sol-gels are taken via nasal administration. They gel rapidly on contact with mucosal tissue, paving the way for direct nose-to-brain delivery. By circumventing first-pass metabolism in the stomach, intestines and liver, bioavailability may be dramatically improved, even compared to other nasal sprays and alternative delivery systems. The gel stays in the nasal passages, providing controlled CBD release while maintaining activity for up to seven days. Its ease of application, long-lasting effects and absence of negative side-effects may make it attractive for patients over other delivery systems.

The Company's Development and Management Team 

PreveCeutical Medical's research team is led by Dr. Harendra Parekh, Ph.D., based at the Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence (PACE) at the University of Queensland. He is joined by Chief Science Officer Dr. Makarand Jawadekar, Ph.D., who has 28 years of experience in R&D with Pfizer Inc. They are supported by research collaborators, Dr. Rakesh Veedu and Professor Grant Ramm. Dr. Veedu is an emerging international expert in molecular medicine, while Professor Ramm is currently head of a leading medical research institute in Brisbane, Australia.

PreveCeutical also partners with industry experts and companies in its drive to establish a leadership position in the preventative health sciences sector. Its research and development partnership with the University of Queensland's commercialization company, UniQuest, grants PreveCeutical rights to all intellectual property arising from projects created by the partnership.

The Company's management team has extensive experience in research, product development, deep corporate strategy development and leadership in capital markets. PreveCeutical is re-capitalizing to fund its ambitious research and development program. Following a private placement completed in July 2017, the company expects the next round of financing to close in mid-February.

A recent Crystal Equity Research report summarizes the company's differentiated endeavors in health care, highlighting PreveCeutical's ability to raise the capital needed to execute its business plans.

"Our bullish view on PreveCeutical Medical is influenced by the Company's plans to bring novel therapeutic compounds to the market at a time when the preventative health care market is entering a period of rapid growth. Management has demonstrated the ability to garner investor support and raise capital at a critical time in its development agenda, a recognized key to success for any health sciences company. Management has also been successful in securing research and development talent through a strategic relationship with a respected and successful academic institution," reads the report (http://nnw.fm/Ho4v2).

Industry Comparables 

Another innovative biotech, Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (OTCQX: LXRP), has developed disruptive delivery technology that facilitates healthier ingestion methods, lower overall dosing and higher effectiveness of lipophilic active molecules. The company out-licenses its delivery platform, which has multiple patents pending in more than 40 countries. Patents have been granted in the United States and Australia for the use of its DehydraTECH™ delivery technology. This provides increased intestinal absorption rates, faster delivery to the bloodstream and taste-masking benefits for orally administered cannabinoids, vitamins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), nicotine and other molecules.

London-headquartered GW Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ: GWPH) focuses on discovering, developing and commercializing new therapeutics across a wide range of disease areas using its proprietary cannabinoid product platform. The company commercialized the world's first plant-derived cannabinoid prescription drug, Sativex®, for the treatment of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis. Together with its U.S. subsidiary, Greenwich Biosciences, GW is proceeding with an orphan drug program for childhood epilepsy. It has filed a New Drug Application (NDA) with the FDA for its CBD-based drug Epidiolex for the adjunctive treatment of Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) and Dravet Syndrome. Other products in its development pipeline include compounds in Phase 1 and 2 trials for glioblastoma, schizophrenia and epilepsy.

Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX: WEED) offers distinct brands and curated cannabis varieties in dried, oil and capsule form. The company operates seven cannabis production sites with more than 665,000 square feet of production capacity, which includes over 500,000 square feet of GMP-certified production area. It has global reach, with operations in seven countries across four continents. Canopy Growth educates healthcare practitioners and the public on cannabis. Through its partly owned subsidiary Canopy Rivers Corporation, the company builds its portfolio of stable investments by incubating new entrants to the cannabis market. Canopy Health Innovations, another partly owned subsidiary, focuses on research for commercial opportunities and IP development.

These companies are rising to the challenges presented by the increasing consumer demand for cannabis-based products. They are positioning themselves to assume leadership positions in their respective sectors of the cannabis industry to realize maximum value for their shareholders.

For more information on PreveCeutical Medical Inc., please visit: PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (CSE: PREV) (OTCQB: PRVCF) (FSE:18H).

About NetworkNewsWire
NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) NetworkNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, NNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. NNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today's market, NNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. NNW is where news, content and information converge.

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the NetworkNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by NNW, wherever published or re-published: http://NNW.fm/Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER: NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is the source of the Article and content set forth above. References to any issuer other than the profiled issuer are intended solely to identify industry participants and do not constitute an endorsement of any issuer and do not constitute a comparison to the profiled issuer. The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by NNW are solely those of NNW. Readers of this Article and content agree that they cannot and will not seek to hold liable NNW for any investment decisions by their readers or subscribers. NNW is a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and are NOT registered broker-dealers/analysts/investment advisers, hold no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.

The Article and content related to the profiled company represent the personal and subjective views of the Author, and are subject to change at any time without notice. The information provided in the Article and the content has been obtained from sources which the Author believes to be reliable. However, the Author has not independently verified or otherwise investigated all such information. None of the Author, NNW, or any of their respective affiliates, guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such information. This Article and content are not, and should not be regarded as investment advice or as a recommendation regarding any particular security or course of action; readers are strongly urged to speak with their own investment advisor and review all of the profiled issuer's filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission before making any investment decisions and should understand the risks associated with an investment in the profiled issuer's securities, including, but not limited to, the complete loss of your investment.

NNW HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements.  The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and NNW undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is affiliated with the Investor Brand Network (IBN).

About IBN
Over the past 10+ years we have consistently introduced new network brands, each specifically designed to fulfil the unique needs of our growing client base and services. Today, we continue to expand our branded network of highly influential properties, leveraging the knowledge and energy of specialized teams of experts to serve our increasingly diversified list of clients.

Please feel free to visit the Investor Brand Network (IBN) www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com

Corporate Communications Contact:
NetworkNewsWire (NNW)
New York
www.NetworkNewsWire.com  
+212-418-1217 Office
Editor@NetworkNewsWire.com

Media Contact:
FN Media Group, LLC
NNW@FinancialNewsMedia.com  
+1-(954)345-0611