AltMed is collaborating with the Florida Center of Excellence for Drug Discovery and Innovation (CDDI) for developing a CBD transdermal patch. This post from PrWeb reports that the research and product development collaboration is ready for launch.
AltMed LLC announced today the launch of a significant research initiative between its affiliate, NuTrae, LLC, and the Florida Center of Excellence for Drug Discovery and Innovation (CDDI) at the University of South Florida in Tampa, to develop a transdermal patch capable of delivering a steady, controlled, smoke-free dose of non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) for patients.
According to David Wright, CEO of AltMed, the objective of the project is to create the most effective delivery mechanism for the non-psychoactive and potentially highly therapeutic CBD for patients in need.
“With medical cannabis coming of age, one of the major challenges patients face is trying to find a reliable method to take their medications with a consistent dosage,” said Wright. “It is AltMed’s intention to bring a best in class transdermal patch to the marketplace so patients will know exactly what dosage they are getting.”
Dr. Chris Witowski, AltMed’s director of laboratory and processing services, has been named project director for the collaboration. Witowski will work with researchers at CDDI, utilizing facilities and processes used by pharmaceutical companies to develop new medications for clinical use.
Witowski specializes in the natural products field, including botanical and microbial drug screenings, working toward the discovery of new therapeutic treatments. Prior to joining AltMed, he conducted much of his doctoral research at CDDI.
“My work at CDDI included supervising drug discovery screenings of marine organisms where we analyzed compounds to discover potential cancer therapies, antibiotics, and other anti-infective drugs,” said Witowski. “This experience is invaluable because similar principles apply as we work to create the most effective methods to deliver the medicinal benefits of the cannabis plant to patients.”
CDDI assists research groups in overcoming some of the critical bottlenecks in early phase drug discovery and will provide AltMed with access to specialized equipment vital for the development of a CBD transdermal formulation intended to maximize skin penetration and therapeutic benefit.
“We are pleased to be working with AltMed on what we see as a notable example of the medicinal benefits of cannabinoids,” said Bill J. Baker, director of CDDI. “The advances brought about by AltMed’s transdermal patch will greatly facilitate the therapeutic application of CBD.”
Commencing immediately, the research and product development collaboration will run throughout the summer of 2015, with the potential of expanding research into additional product lines upon completion of the transdermal patch phase.