Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will market the world’s first cannabis inhaler able to deliver flower at the precision and safety of conventional drugs, according to a Jerusalem Post report. The inhaler, currently only used for pain management at the Rambam Medical Center, was developed by Tel Aviv-based Syqe Medical.
“Teva Israel is entering the field of medical cannabis out of a deep commitment to patients coping with pain, which is one of the company’s core therapeutic areas,” Avinoam Sapir, Teva CEO, said in the report.
The inhaler was in development for more than five years, using 3D printing technology made by Stratsys. It allows for the delivery of raw plants, the control of airflow and temperature, and includes a mechanism to enhance absorption and compliance.
Elon Eisenberg, director of pain research at Rambam Medical Center and the former director of the Health Ministry, said the device allows health professionals to better estimate the amount of cannabis administered via vaporization and smoking, which he called “the main problem facing doctors and researchers.”
“The ability to do so forms the basis for administering proper treatment,” he said. “The development of this inhaler fulfills our greatest hopes to be able to administer accurate and reliable doses of cannabis.”
Currently, there are about 26,000 licensed medical cannabis patients in Israel. That number is expected to double by 2018.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article’s headline incorrectly stated that this was the first-ever medical cannabis inhaler. The headline was updated on 11/30/2016.