Cannabis Science, Inc., has announced a collaborative drug development deal with IGXBio Inc., and its GenePro®, a DNA-based immunotherapeutic that recently received FDA IND approval to enter into human trials.
The companies will develop joint protocols that explore potential synergistic effects of their respective drug candidates, as well as potential new drug candidate opportunities.
“After recent discussions with Mr. Jim Laufenberg, President of IGXbio Inc., and Dr. Allen Herman, Chief Medical Officer, Cannabis Science Inc., we have decided it’s time to accelerate our collaborative drug development program. Dr. Herman will work closely with Mr. Laufenberg to choose the team of scientists responsible for the integrity of the research, define laboratory requirements for each stage of development, and delineate the shared scope of work between CBIS and IGXBio. Jim and I are on the final joint steering committee to ensure our project is committed, fired up, and underway,” said Mr. Raymond C. Dabney, President and CEO of CBIS.
IGXBio has a drug called GenePro®, which is already registered with the FDA and has an IND number. This expedites the process to seek FDA approval in the future. GenePro® is designed to promote an anti-HIV immune response that facilitates virus control in HIV-infected subjects. There are more than 150 peer-reviewed publications that describe the effectiveness of GenePro®. The inflammatory response that is associated with HIV infection is present at even low levels of viral replication, and is a major causal factor for the morbidities and associated mortality of HIV infection. Low-grade inflammation frequently occurs despite clinically successful anti-retroviral therapy and is associated with increased incidence of heart disease, bone disease, and cancers.
“If inflammation can be minimized or eliminated along with HIV viral replication it will improve the health and extend the lives of HIV-positive people. By partnering CS-TATI-1 and GenePro® we believe this is possible. Our collaboration is designed to provide novel insights into the role of inflammation in HIV disease and we hope to provide critical pharmaceutical resources for optimizing effective treatments for AIDS patients in various resource settings. The drug development program is designed to demonstrate the enhanced potential of therapeutic vaccination and the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabinoids to deter disease progression in AIDS patients unable to achieve control HIV replication,” stated Allen A. Herman, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D.
