Scientists at the laboratory of Professor Raphael Mechoulam, one of the developers of Pharmos Corp.’s (Nasdaq: PARS), failed drug Dexanbinol, have broken new ground in their development of products based on cannabis derivatives with medical potential. Researcher Yehoshua Maor, a doctoral student at Mechoulam’s laboratory at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has developed a synthetic cannabis derivative that can reduce blood pressure and prevent inflammation.
This week, the development earned Maor the university’s Kaye Innovation Award, given to young researchers that have made innovative discoveries with substantial commercial potential. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common disease and one of the major causes of heart attacks. Tens of millions of people worldwide are treated with anti-hypertension drugs although not everyone has found a drug that is effective for them, and with minimal side effects. A number of compounds produced from the cannabis to date have proved effective in the lowering of blood pressure but have also caused side effects such as mood swings and delusions.
Working under the guidance of Professor Mechoulam, Maor has successfully developed a secondary cannabis derivative , canabigrol, that does not influence brain functioning. Preliminary laboratory tests on animals conducted by Maor and Professor Michal Horovitz of the university’s Laboratory for Environmental Physiology found that the new compound lowered blood pressure levels in rats that received a low dosage. A subsequent study conducted together with Ruth Galili of the Lautenberg Center at the Hebrew University School of Medicine found that the compound also had anti-inflammatory properties. Heart disease that is characterized by hypertension is often also indicative of inflammation of the arteries.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on June 19, 2006
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