NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 06/18/15 -- PharmaCyte Biotech (OTCQB: PMCB) announced this week that the Company is able to advance its Cannabis research now that its research partner, The University of Northern Colorado (UNC), successfully obtained a Schedule 1 license from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency or the DEA. This license will allow PharmaCyte Biotech to continue development of tumor-targeted treatments for serious and deadly cancers by utilizing cannabinoid prodrugs in combination with PharmaCyte Biotech’s signature live-cell encapsulation technology, Cell-in-a-Box®.
Dr. Mark L. Rabe, M.D., a member of PharmaCyte Biotech’s Scientific Advisory Board and a leading figure in the emerging medical Cannabis field, says this is great news for PharmaCyte Biotech. Stock Market Media Group (SMMG), a content development investment relations firm, discussed the issuance of the Schedule 1 license with Dr. Rabe and found that, for PharmaCyte Biotech, the license is truly significant to the company’s future work in the Cannabis arena.
SMMG: What does getting the Schedule 1 license mean for PharmaCyte Biotech?
Dr. Rabe: Issuance of the DEA Schedule 1 license is a big deal, and the application process was very rigorous. The license means that the federal government has taken a close look at what PharmaCyte Biotech and UNC researchers propose to do, along with its facilities, and has given permission to legally obtain Cannabis and its therapeutic molecular components in order to perform research.
Most importantly, the license provides PharmaCyte Biotech with a rare opportunity to develop “green” approaches to fighting deadly cancers, such as cancer of the pancreas, brain, and breast, which affect hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide every year.
SMMG: What is the significance of a Schedule 1 license to the future work of a company like PharmaCyte?
Dr. Rabe: The license puts Pharmacyte Biotech and UNC into an elite group of U.S. researchers. With the ability to obtain government-approved Cannabis, work can now advance. Having the license provides credibility to the investigators, UNC, PharmaCyte Biotech, and ultimately the results, as they will be subject to peer review. And if all goes well, it should facilitate progression from bench science into preclinical studies and ultimately human clinical trials.
SMMG: How can PharmaCyte Biotech benefit from UNC being granted this license?
Dr. Rabe: PharmaCyte Biotech may advance its research on U.S. soil at a state institution that receives federal funding, with U.S. governmental approval and oversight. Not only does this allow this cutting-edge research to proceed, it should send a signal that the work has real potential.
SMMG: What is next for PharmaCyte Biotech with UNC now that the university has the Schedule 1 license?
Dr. Rabe: Until now, investigators have been using “model,” or “look-alike” compounds to develop protocols and screen various biological systems. With cannabinoid molecules in-hand, UNC researchers are now intently focused on reexamining the biological systems for activity as well as exploring additional systems suitable for use in combination with the Cell-in-a-Box® platform.
SMMG: Can you explain what it is PharmaCyte Biotech will do treatment-wise as a biotech company -- medicinal versus medical Cannabis?
Dr. Rabe: The cannabinoid-based treatments that PharmaCyte Biotech is developing may be considered “medical Cannabis” in that “medical” treatments are being developed with molecules derived from the “Cannabis” plant. Otherwise, PharmaCyte Biotech falls squarely into the “biotech” category. Unrelated to Cannabis, the company has major programs underway using its unique Cell-in-a-Box® platform as a means to treat pancreatic cancer, malignant ascites (painful accumulation of fluid in the abdomen due to cancer) and diabetes.
When it comes to cannabinoids, PharmaCyte Biotech is optimizing the anticancerous effectiveness of these molecules in combination with Cell-in-a-Box® and a novel bioengineered human cell line. No one else is doing anything like this.
SMMG: What areas do you feel strongly that PharmaCyte Biotech can develop treatments for using cannabinoids?
Dr. Rabe: Cancer, for sure. Molecules such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) have been well documented in the medical literature to possess a number of anti-cancer properties including the ability to slow the growth of tumor cells and slow the penetration of blood vessels into tumors that allow them to metastasize. With Cell-in-a-Box®, those molecules can be generated right where they are needed at the site of a tumor -- increasing their effectiveness and without the horrible side effects of conventional agents.
Pain is another important area for research. Pain affects over 100 million Americans and costs billions annually. Plant-based cannabinoid molecules, or “phytocannabinoids,” have been shown to relieve pain via three different mechanisms. Phytocannabinoids work because our bodies have a natural “endocannabinoid” system that regulates bodily systems and maintains homeostasis. Harnessing the power of the endocannabinoid system with a Cell-in-a-Box® approach to treat pain has some very interesting possibilities.
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Source: PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc.