Avicanna Announces Sponsorship of Pilot Phase II Clinical Study Osteoarthritis Pain
Multi-centre, blinded, randomized placebo-controlled investigator initiated study, to be led by Dr. Hance Clarke and conducted at University Health Network
TORONTO, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avicanna Inc. (“Avicanna” or “Company”) (TSX: AVCN) (OTCQX: AVCNF) (FSE: 0NN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products, is pleased to announce it has entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement to sponsor an investigator initiated study on “The Effectiveness of Oral Cannabis Extracts for Osteoarthritic Pain: An Internal Pilot, Placebo Controlled, Blinded Randomized Multicentre Trial” (“RCT”).
The RCT is led Hance Clarke, MD, FRCPC, PhD as the principal investigator (“Dr. Clarke” or “Principal Investigator”) who is the medical director of the Pain Research Unit, and a clinician at University Health Network and is anticipated to start in the Fall of 2025.
The primary objective of the RCT is to determine the feasibility of a blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, 3-arm, parallel group trial of oral cannabinoids for improving pain interference in patients with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis. Specifically, the RCT will look to discover whether the planned definitive RCT is feasible with respect to patient enrollment, protocol adherence, and data completeness.
The RCT is funded by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (“CHIR”) grant and is sponsored by Avicanna that is providing its proprietary CBD and THC capsules produced under Good Manufacturing Practices (“GMP”) for the trial.
About Avicanna:
Avicanna is a commercial-stage international biopharmaceutical company focused on the advancement and commercialization of cannabinoid-based products and formulations for the global medical and pharmaceutical market segments. Avicanna has an established scientific platform including R&D and clinical development leading to the commercialization of more than thirty proprietary, evidence-based finished products and supporting four commercial stage business pillars.
- Medical Cannabis formulary (RHO Phyto™): The formulary offers a diverse range of proprietary products including oral, sublingual, topical, and transdermal deliveries with varying ratios of cannabinoids, supported by ongoing patient and medical community education. RHO Phyto is an established brand in Canada currently available nationwide across several channels and expanding into new international markets.
- Medical cannabis care platform (MyMedi.ca): MyMedi.ca is a medical cannabis care platform formed with the aim to better serve medical cannabis patients’ needs and enhance the medical cannabis patients’ journey. MyMedi.ca is operated by Northern Green Canada Inc. and features a diverse portfolio of products and bilingual pharmacist-led patient support programs. MyMedi.ca also provides specialty services to distinct patient groups such as veterans and collaborates with public and private payers for adjudication and reimbursement. MyMedi.ca provides educational resources to the medical community to facilitate the incorporation of medical cannabis into health care regimens.
- Pharmaceutical pipeline: Leveraging Avicanna’s scientific platform, vertical integration, and real-world evidence, Avicanna has developed a pipeline of proprietary, indication-specific cannabinoid-based candidates that are in various stages of clinical development. These cannabinoid-based candidates aim to address unmet needs in the areas of dermatology, chronic pain, and various neurological disorders.
- Active pharmaceutical ingredients (Aureus Santa Marta™): Active pharmaceutical ingredients supplied by the Company’s majority owned subsidiary Santa Marta Golden Hemp SAS (“SMGH”) is a commercial-stage business dedicated to providing various forms of high-quality CBD, THC and CBG to the Company’s international partners for use in the development and production of food, cosmetics, medical, and pharmaceutical products. SMGH also forms part of the Company’s supply chain and is a source of reliable input products for its consumer retail, medical cannabis, and pharmaceutical products globally.
SOURCE Avicanna Inc.
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