InMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the research and development of novel, cannabinoid-based drug therapies, announced today results from a study co-sponsored by InMed (Dr. Sazzad Hossain, Chief Scientific Officer) and the University of British Columbia (laboratories of Profs. Ujendra Kumar and Vikramaditya Yadav).
The InMed-UBC study is the first ever to report hydrogel-mediated cannabinoid nanoparticle delivery to the eye, resulting in enhanced drug uptake via the cornea and lens. This study further validates the Company’s capacity to conduct a wide spectrum of drug development activities, including:
- biosynthesis of a cannabinoid using a novel E. coli-based system;
- packaging the cannabinoid as a nanoparticle;
- formulation of a cannabinoid drug candidate into a novel, tissue specific delivery vehicle; and
- confirmation of drug delivery and diffusion into a target tissue.
Typical ocular formulations, such as eye drops, are washed away almost immediately upon administration due to blinking. In this study, InMed’s proprietary hydrogel delivery method offers unique rheological characteristics permitting it to form a thin, uniform coating, a gel-like ‘lens’, over the cornea through blinking of the eyelid. This ‘lens’ holds the drug in place and allows for trans-corneal absorption of the drug, which can then diffuse within the eye to the retina. Total drug delivered using this hydrogel nanoparticle formulation was three-times higher than the control formulation.
