ISSUE NO. 2 — Revolutionizing Traditional Medicine With Cannabis-based Medicinal Products

Cannabis, one of the oldest and most commonly used drugs in the world, is derived from the cannabis sativa plant and contains hundreds of active ingredients. These include the most abundant active constituents, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, and cannabidiol (CBD) which has therapeutic effects but less psychoactivity. 

Research has shown that these constituents interact with various systems in the body where cannabinoid receptors are located, leading to a range of therapeutic effects within the central nervous system and its periphery.

Though it has become difficult to conduct clinical research involving cannabis, Canada became the first country in the G20 to introduce a legal framework regulating the use of cannabis by adults for non-medical purposes, creating a large-scale natural experiment that the world continues to study.

In Issue 2 of The Altascientist, we explore the science, therapeutic potential, and regulatory considerations for cannabis-based medicinal products, including:

• Supporting clinical facts and research;
• Altasciences’ experience and innovative approach to cannabinoid studies; and
• a case study on the safety and tolerability of the first cannabis extract developed for regulatory submission.

Altasciences’ Innovative FIH Cannabis Research

Altasciences remains a champion of innovation, and when Tetra Bio-Pharma sought a partner for their first-in-human (FIH) study of a cannabis extract for breakthrough cancer pain, we collaborated to design a comprehensive development plan. This included clinical study design, bioanalysis, and regulatory strategy for the first whole-plant cannabis extract to follow the drug approval pathway.

Our expertise in cannabinoid research, along with our specialized bioanalytical capabilities and purpose-built facilities, ensured rigorous safety and efficacy assessments to support the drug’s advancement.

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