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news.Cannabis Science has announced a collaborative drug development deal with IGXBio and its GenePro, a DNA-based immunotherapeutic that recently received FDA IND approval to enter into human trials.
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The companies will develop joint protocols that explore potential synergistic effects of their respective drug candidates, as well as potential new drug candidate opportunities.
"After recent discussions with Mr. Jim Laufenberg, President of IGXbio Inc., and Dr. Allen Herman, Chief Medical Officer, Cannabis Science Inc., we have decided it’s time to accelerate our collaborative drug development program.
Herman will work closely with Mr. Laufenberg to choose the team of scientists responsible for the integrity of the research, define laboratory requirements for each stage of development, and delineate the shared scope of work between CBIS and IGXBio.
Jim and I are on the final joint steering committee to ensure our project is committed, fired up, and underway," said Mr. Raymond C. Dabney, President and CEO of CBIS.
IGXBio has a drug called GenePro®, which is already registered with the FDA and has an IND number. This expedites the process to seek FDA approval in the future. GenePro is designed to promote an anti-HIV immune response that facilitates virus control in HIV-infected subjects. There are more than 150 peer-reviewed publications that describe the effectiveness of GenePro.
The inflammatory response that is associated with HIV infection is present at even low levels of viral replication, and is a major causal factor for the morbidities and associated mortality of HIV infection. Low-grade inflammation frequently occurs despite clinically successful anti-retroviral therapy and is associated with increased incidence of heart disease, bone disease, and cancers.
Allen A. Herman said: "If inflammation can be minimized or eliminated along with HIV viral replication it will improve the health and extend the lives of HIV-positive people. By partnering CS-TATI-1 and GenePro® we believe this is possible. Our collaboration is designed to provide novel insights into the role of inflammation in HIV disease and we hope to provide critical pharmaceutical resources for optimizing effective treatments for AIDS patients in various resource settings.
"The drug development program is designed to demonstrate the enhanced potential of therapeutic vaccination and the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabinoids to deter disease progression in AIDS patients unable to achieve control HIV replication."
Dabney said: "We are excited to optimize our drug development in partnership with IGXBio and increase the speed of bringing clinically safe and effective cannabinoids to a global market for anti-retroviral and cancer therapeutics. It is estimated that, as populations age around the world and transition from infectious diseases to chronic diseases, it is anticipated that there will be a rapid rise in cancers and other chronic diseases.
"We are concerned that much of the increase will occur in North America, Europe, and the other developing economies around the world such as Africa, Asia, Central and South America.
Therefore, it is imperative that there is rapid development and deployment of more affordable, effective, and safe cancer treatments. The IGXBio-CBIS partnership is poised to flourish in its service of individuals suffering from HIV, cancer, and other chronic diseases."