Curtin University’s School of Biomedical Sciences will begin testing marijuana formulations against human pancreatic cell cancer lines grown in the laboratory. The project is in association with Zelda Therapeutics, a Perth based biopharmaceutical company, which will be importing the marijuana from Canada. The study will explore all of the possible benefits of marijuana formulations as standalone therapies and in combination with chemotherapy medications.
Pancreatic cancer is exceedingly aggressive and challenging to identify. According to research, only 6% of patients will survive for five years after being diagnosed. Curtin University’s Professor Marco Falasca stated, “After years of slow progress in the field of pancreatic cancer treatment, we hope to finally open the path to new therapies for pancreatic cancer.”
Zelda stated the plan is to duplicate the success of its cannabinoid formulations on breast cancer. In November, Zelda revealed the conclusions of an experimental trial, alleging its THC-rich medical marijuana formula was as sufficient in decreasing breast cancer tumour growth in mice as the chemotherapy medication Lapatanib. The conclusions still need clinical trial acceptance. “There is a growing body of evidence that whole plant cannabinoid extracts can impede cancer growth and potentially render the tumour more responsive to chemotherapeutic agents,” Zelda stated.
Harry Karellis, Zelda’s executive chairman, hoped the pancreatic research would demonstrate anti-cancer activity. He said, “Professor Falasca has an established reputation in studying pancreatic cancer using cannabinoids in Italy, the United Kingdom and more recently, in Australia. Up until now he has been working with synthetic cannabidiol and generating positive data in vitro and in vivo. Our program will be testing our whole plant extracts in his established cell assays and depending on results can progress into further work in animal models.” We are hoping to open up pathways to new pancreatic cancer treatments.
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