Cannabis for cancer pain

ASX-LISTED medical life sciences company Medlab Clinical reports that its clinical trial of its cannabisbased medicine, NanaBis, is on schedule with recruitment.

Under Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA’s) Special Access Scheme (SAS), Medlab has approval to supply NanaBis to medical practitioners for use with patients suffering cancer pain.

Medlab says feedback from some doctors is that it is proving effective in decreasing reliance on opioids and in its speed of action, aided by delivery through Medlab’s nanoparticle spray, NanoCelle.

These developments coincide with yesterday’s publication in

The Lancet of research into the effectiveness of cannabis use in people with chronic non-cancer pain and who have been prescribed opioids ( PD yesterday).

This research is dissimilar from Medlab’s work which is focused on standardising and validating CBD and THC blends derived from cannabis, being delivered by NanoCelle to speed absorption into the bloodstream.

Feedback from prescribing doctors has validated the chemistry of NanaBis which is unlike hemp or medicinal cannabis, said Medlab md Dr Sean Hall.

“We still have a way to go with collecting more feedback and progressing with our clinical trial but our commitment to the integrity of this medical process makes Medlab distinctive in this area,” Hall said.

Medlab has developed two cannabis-based medicines which have differing cannabis formulations – NanaBis for those with chronic cancer pain and NanaBidial for those suffering effects from chemotherapy.