Advertise With UsAdvertise on our extensive network of industry websites and newsletters.
Get the PBR newsletterSign up to our free email to get all the latest PBR
news.Plandaí Biotechnology, a developer of highly bioavailable plant extracts for industries including health, wellness, nutriceutical, and pharmaceutical, today announced that its wholly-owned Uruguay subsidiary has executed a research agreement with the Foundation for the Development of Basic Sciences (FUNDACIBA) and the Group of Medicinal Chemistry (GQM) from the School of Science at the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Subscribe to our email newsletter
The agreement establishes the collaboration and structure to enable better scientific understanding of the medicinal use of cannabis to treat diseases such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, brain damage, cancer, and such others as may be deemed reasonable and appropriate.
The collaboration will allow Plandaí Biotechnology-Uruguay to move forward in the scientific validation of the medicinal potential of cannabis under legally supported framework (Law No. 14,294, Law No. 19,172). For FUNDACIBA-GQM, this agreement will support the development of research lines in medicinal cannabis by incorporating high-level technology and training with experts.
Roger Baylis-Duffield, Chief Executive Officer of Plandaí, commented, "We are appreciative of the Uruguayan government that immediately understood the potential for medical cannabis in a non-psychoactive form and gave not only their support but also their approval.
"We are also grateful to the faculty and dean of the Group of Medicinal Chemistry and FUNDACIBA for their enthusiasm for the project. Having both a legal framework and now a research agreement from which we can study cannabis could prove to be a huge benefit to the millions of people that could potentially benefit from our science while also helping build the pharmaceutical and biotech industries in Uruguay."
The academic collaboration aims to identify the optimal variety of cannabis for medicinal use, determine its chemical and genetic profile, perform in vitro cytotoxicity studies (efficacy and safety), and then perform in vivo studies in murine (mice and rats).
The project is designed to reach pre-clinical studies; the stage of human clinical studies will be planned for a later phase of collaboration if the results in animals are favorable.
Plandaí Biotechnology-Uruguay is currently the only company given authorization to grow cannabis and conduct medical research in Uruguay. Under the terms of the agreement, Plandaí will be responsible for funding the research which will be overseen by a team of scientists from the University.
Any patents or other intellectual property that is discovered from the research will belong to Plandaí with the FUNDACIBA-GQM group receiving a small royalty.