A study testing CBD on large animals shows positive results in blood tests

Innocan Pharma’s CBD-loaded liposome platform technology has demonstrated a prolonged release of CBD in large animals.

The company conducted an experimental study of their CBD-loaded liposome technology (LPT) on large animals that demonstrated a similar pharmacokinetic profile as demonstrated in a previous study on smaller animals.

Pharmacokinetics (PK) determines the drug profile of drug concentrations in the blood from the moment CBD enters the system indicating drug efficacy.

The prolonged-release of CBD from the liposomes injected subcutaneously to large animals showed continuous concentrations of CBD over a long period of time. This is considered a good indicator of the expected exposure in humans. The data demonstrates that Innocan’s LPT platform may be suitable for human therapeutic use.

The results of the trial are expected to bring the company closer to clinical trials including humans.

The continuous exposure of CBD in blood for a long time post administration appears to be superior to CBD taken orally. The researchers highlighted this was superior in two ways. It overcomes the low (10 to 20 percent) bioavailability of oral CBD and will allow a daily dose instead of continuous doses throughout the day.

Large animal studies

Professor Chezy Barenholz of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said: “The preliminary results of prolonged exposure to CBD in a large animal following the injection of CBD-loaded liposomes will bring us closer to a human clinical study.” Barenholz added, “such results serve as a better predictor to human PK profile. The “jump” from a small animal model to a large animal model is immensely meaningful in the development of the LPT platform for humans.”

Iris Bincovich, the CEO of Innocan Pharma added: “Innocan, slowly and surely, is being positioned as a world-leader in turning CBD into a treatable pharma solution, due to our scientific breakthroughs and innovation. We believe that the pharma market looks up to us, as we keep on disrupting this emerging yet unsaturated market.”

Elephant study

Another case study in Poland from 2020 focused on dosing elephants with CBD to improve their mood. Researchers at Warsaw Zoo became concerned about Fredzia the elephant when a female elder of her herd died.

Fredzia went into mourning and was stressed following the death so zookeepers decided to start a study to see how CBD could help larger animals.

The first stage of the trial involved collecting faeces, saliva and blood samples from the elephants to monitor their cortisol levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone released by humans when in stressful situations. The oil had been added to the elephant’s food and applied directly into their mouths.

The results will not be available for another year at least. However, the zoo intends to extend the trial to other large animals including bears and rhinos.

Read more: Cannabinoid clinical trials: what, when and how?