Khiron Life Sciences Corp. has published the results of its first clinical study on the use of prescribed medical cannabis and its effect on treating chronic pain. The study is the largest of its kind in Latin America and the first study to provide evidence on the effectiveness of Khiron’s THC and CBD oil-based cannabis formulations, the two most popular products at Khiron’s Zerenia Clinics in Colombia.
Khiron is a vertically integrated medical cannabis company that operates primarily in Latin America and Europe that combines a patient-oriented approach with educational programs, scientific expertise, product innovation and agricultural infrastructure. Khiron has a sales presence in Colombia, Peru, Germany, U.K., Brazil and is positioned to begin sales in Mexico.
The study was a joint effort between Khiron Life Science and doctors from Zerenia Clinics in Colombia and Europe, who measured patient-reported outcome measures and adverse effects in 2112 adult patients diagnosed with chronic pain. Between May and September 2021, patients received treatment with Khiron’s products at the Latin America Institute of Neurology and Nervous System.
“This study, based on Khiron’s medical products, is critical to reassure physicians and health insurance providers of the efficacy of medicinal cannabis to treat chronic pain. The global impact and economic burden of chronic pain in our society, mounting medical evidence will increase access to cannabinoid-based medicines worldwide,” said Alvaro Torres, Khiron CEO and Director. “The recent vote in the US House of Representatives promoting medical research on cannabis clearly shows the pressing need to develop effective and safe cannabis-based medication for suffering patients worldwide. With this and upcoming studies, Khiron will continue to stand above in the field of medical research and to expand the access for patients in those jurisdictions in which we are present”.
Key findings in the study included nine out of 10 patients reported an improvement in their chronic pain, seven out of 10 patients reported an improvement greater than 50% after four weeks of treatment and seven out of 10 did not experience any adverse side effects from treatment. Reported side effects were mild and went away after 12 weeks.
“We believe these findings to be generalizable across patient populations, considering that our results are extremely well-aligned with those reported by researchers working with similar clinical populations in nations with long-standing medicinal cannabis access programs, such as Israel and Canada,” said Guillermo Moreno-Sanz, the first author of the study and Global Scientific Director of Khiron Life Sciences.
The study is groundbreaking for Khiron as it investigates the effectiveness of its products over various durations as opposed to previous studies which tend to use a variety of different products over a relatively short period of time. Khiron’s study describes the short-, mid- and long-term effectiveness of its two formulations containing THC and CBD in 1:1 and 1:25 ratios, respectively. Over 75% of the participants were female with an average age of 58.7.
Cannabis has long been linked to having a positive effect on patients with chronic pain and eve the reduction of opioid use. Two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggest that access to medical cannabis can reduce or even stop the use of opioids to treat osteoarthritis and chronic back pain. The studies reviewed data of filled opioid prescriptions for patients with chronic back pain and OA and found there was a decrease in the overall average morphine milligram equivalents when comparing data from six months before a medical cannabis prescription and six months after.
Khiron is set the enter the Mexican cannabis market through a partnership with Fundación Teletón, an organization that focuses on fundraising for children’s healthcare. Khiron will provide medical cannabis to over 24 medical centers across Mexico. The company has been authorized to use controlled substances international under conventions from Mexico’s regulatory agency COFEPRIS to bring medical cannabis into the country.
