A study in Ireland is underway by Ulster University and GreenLight Medicines which aims to determine the effectiveness of cannabis therapies as a treatment for arthritis, the Irish Examiner reports. According to Dr. David Gibson, the lead researcher and rheumatoid arthritis specialist, “the research will explore which compounds of the plant are the most promising and help inform dosage recommendations” before clinical trials on arthritis patients are performed.
“We are studying several components of the cannabis plant which have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties,” he said in the report. “Specifically, we’re investigating the use of cannabis-based extracts that have been proven to reduce inflammation, and we wish to explore the full therapeutic potential of these molecules in relation to several inflammatory diseases.”
The study, backed by more than $1.2 million, will be conducted over five years.
Dublin-based GreenLight Medicines primarily focuses on the potential of cannabis as a treatment for arthritis, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, cancer, and epilepsy. The research could help validate the company’s first product, targeted at osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Last month the pharmaceutical startup secured more than $550,000 in private funding, including commitments of about $140 million in CBD oil from Swiss-American firm Isodiol, to develop “breakthrough medicines” using cannabis extracts.