While there are several cannabis-based businesses and companies that dominate the market, there aren’t any doing what Jay Pharma is doing.
The mission of Jay Pharma is simple.
This Canadian-based company wants to improve the lives of people suffering from cancer by developing state-of-the-art cannabis-based products and combination therapies that focus on unmet needs in cancer care.
CBD and the entire cannabis industry are still so very new and not evidence based. The cannabis industry itself is a lot like the dot com industry in the early days.
There are a lot of companies with high valuations but only the companies with a truly good product will survive long term.
Ameri Holdings (Nasdaq: AMRH) to Merge with Jay Pharma
On January 13, Ameri Holdings announced that they had entered into an amalgamation agreement with Jay Pharma.
We sat in on a conference call on January 16 to see exactly what this would entail. The replay of the conference call is available at +1 412-317-0088 with passcode 10138473.
The purpose of the conference call was to discuss how Ameri Holdings has entered into the amalgamation agreement whereby the shareholders of Jay Pharma will become the majority holders of Ameri Holdings outstanding stock.
The fact that CBD and the entire cannabis industry are still very new and not evidence based was largely discussed.
This is where the opportunity is.
Evidence-based CBD products that can be prescribed by oncologists or that were available over-the-counter would change the industry forever.
There have already been extremely positive changes in the industry at large. The passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada, and the FDA approval of GW Pharma’s Epidiolex are monumental steps in the cannabis industry.
Cannabis and Cancer Care
Doctors are asked all the time by the majority of their cancer patients about cannabinoid-based medicines that could help improve their cancer care.
The problem is, doctors only want to use evidence-based products and there’s currently a lack of these products in the industry.
This is something Jay Pharma wants to change.
Dave Johnson, who is set to step into the role of Jay Pharma Chairman and CEO had the following to say:
“According to a 2018 survey of 237 medical oncologists, 80% of oncologists discuss medical cannabis with patients and nearly one-half recommend it clinically. Critically, only 30% of oncologists feel sufficiently informed to make recommendations regarding medical cannabis, suggesting a large unmet opportunity to educate oncologists and provide research that supports the safety of medical cannabis. In a market that is highly underdeveloped with little clinical data, Jay Pharma has the potential to stand apart as a developer of cannabinoid-based therapies exclusively focused on the needs of cancer patients.”
The Future of Jay Pharma
To date, the company has filed a number of patents concerning the use of various cannabinoids for specific types of cancer and current cancer treatments.
Initially, Jay Pharma plans to develop cannabinoid products for those suffering from cancer and the side effects of cancer treatment. Their long-term vision is the development of a channel of innovative combination therapies that can be used in addition to customary cancer care treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation.
To develop these products and combination therapies, Jay Pharma plans to use proprietary patient data that will help guide product development and treatment planning.
Through their approach to the development of pharmaceutical and over-the-counter products, they intend to attend to the needs of patients, doctors and physicians, regulators, and high-value market segment investors where an evidence-based approach to cannabinoid medicine is mandated.
They plan to do this in partnership with leading researchers.
Jay Pharma Partners
Dedicated to providing the highest-quality products and combination therapies, Jay Pharma has partnered with companies and research institutes they believe “have the potential to accelerate pharmaceutical efforts, market entry, data collection, and analysis.”
One of these partners is Tikun Olam, Israel’s leading medical cannabis supplier and one of the world’s largest, research-focused medical cannabis companies.
Tikun Olam is devoted to providing evidence-based cannabis medicine and their products have been used in the study of several medical trials. Their database includes over 12,000 people that have been treated for a variety of different conditions, with a central focus on cancer.
Jay Pharma will employ the use of a proprietary cannabis strain known as Avidekel, a strain developed by Tikun Olam with high CBD concentrations (18-30%) and low THC (<1%).
Avidekel was licensed to Jay Pharma for the development of OTC and pharmaceutical products that will be designed specifically for cancer patients.
St. George’s University of London is another Jay Pharma partner, which brings research experience and relevant domain knowledge concerning CBD and cancer.
They have also partnered with the Soroka University Medical Cancer Center, offering clinical research capabilities and extensive patient access.
Summary of Soroka Medical Center Study Data
Jay Pharma and Cannabinoid-Cancer Care
Jay Pharma highlights that there is an emerging body of evidence suggesting CBD could have therapeutic, anti-tumor properties in regard to certain types of cancer when used alone or along with existing therapies.
Using CBD in Conjunction with Cancer Therapies
Pointing to preclinical data that suggests some combination therapies could improve certain chemotherapies or cancer immunotherapies, Jay Pharma is currently working to develop innovative combinations of CBD used in conjunction with chemotherapy and immunotherapy cancer treatments.
While aware that traditionally cannabis has been used to support symptoms of cancer treatments due to its appetite-stimulating, analgesic, and anti-emetic properties, Jay Pharma is also interested in cannabinoid therapies for their potential anti-tumor effect.
Citing research suggesting certain natural occurring cannabinoids have a therapeutic, anti-tumor effect, Jay Pharma believes that CBD combination therapies have the opportunity to dramatically improve outcomes in at-risk patients.
They also note that there is evidence to suggest that using CBD in conjunction with chemotherapy and other specific compounds could be more effective than using CBD alone.
Regarding immunotherapy, Jay Pharma notes that preclinical studies suggests that CBD may enhance the ability of dendritic cells to produce a cytokine might increase the immune system’s response against certain cancers.
CBD and Cancer Research Studies
On their website, Jay Pharma has included numerous studies regarding CBD/cancer research. They offer several studies on background research that has been done on cannabinoids and their role in cancer, including pre-clinical and clinical assessments of cannabinoids as anti-cancer agents.
Anyone interested in learning more about the various studies that concentrate on cannabinoids the role they may play in cancer is encouraged to visit the database of related studies on Jay Pharma’s website.
Radiodermatitis
Radiodermatitis is one of the most common side effects of radiation, effecting some 95% of individuals that undergo this aggressive cancer treatment. It can vary from a very mild case of redness on the skin to extreme cases where skin becomes extremely painful and may bleed, crack, and blister.
Jay Pharma is currently running preclinical trials with a cannabinoid-infused topical ointment. They note that aside from the safety profile of CBD, it also acts to moderate symptoms associated with radiodermatitis, including pain, inflammation, wound healing, and oxidative stress.
Several examples of clinical data that support CBD’s capacity to disrupt the development and symptoms of radiodermatitis are included on Jay Pharma’s website.
Information on the endocannabinoid system and its role in skin homeostasis can also be found.
It shouldn’t be long before clinical trials are underway and Jay Pharma can begin offering evidence-based CBD products to those who need them most. When this occurs, they will focus specifically on skin conditions, chemo induced nausea/vomiting, and chronic pain in patients with cancer.
Featured Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay
