‘Milestone’ as first cancer patients treated with medical cannabis formulations

The first patients have begun treatment with medical cannabis formulations, which were found to be effective in killing cancer cells.

Apollon Formularies announced that its International Cancer and Chronic Pain Institute is now open and has welcomed the first cancer patients to be treated with the company’s proprietary medical cannabis products.

The UK-based medical cannabis pharmaceutical company’s products were recently shown to be highly effective in killing cancer cells, using state-of-the-art 3D cell culture testing.

Earlier this year, third-party testing showed that Apollon’s medical cannabis formulations were “particularly effective” in killing living HER2+ cancer cells, the cause of around 20 percent of all breast cancers.

Laboratory testing results also demonstrated that the formulations were effective in killing almost 100 per cent of living hormone-sensitive and hormone-resistant prostate cancer cells.

The company announced its plans to make the formulations available to licensed physicians to begin treating cancer patients in Jamaica.

“This is a huge milestone for Apollon”, commented Stephen D Barnhill, MD, chairman and CEO of Apollon Formularies.

“After many years of researching, developing, manufacturing and testing these proprietary Apollon medical cannabis formulations, we are so proud to announce that they are now available to cancer patients by physician prescription at the International Cancer and Chronic Pain Institute.”

Paul Burke, CEO Apollon Formularies Jamaica,  added: “We are very excited to now have these Apollon Products available to cancer patients in Jamaica and international patients coming to Jamaica for treatment.

“Traditional chemotherapy, radiation and surgery cancer treatment protocols are expensive and require a great deal of infrastructure. As a result, many men and women in Jamaica and worldwide have gone without treatment or with only limited treatment. Apollon is now pleased to be providing these patients with another option”.

All cancer patients enrolled on trial are being treated by experienced specialist physicians with additional expertise in cannabinoid medicine, led by oncologist, Dr Margaret Dingle Spence, medical director of the International Cancer and Chronic Pain Center in Kingston, Jamaica.

These doctors will be exclusively prescribing Apollon products for patients being treated with medical cannabis.

In addition to now treating international and local Jamaican patients, the International Cancer and Chronic Pain Institute physicians intend to initiate clinical trials on Apollon’s proprietary medical cannabis products through Apollon’s CLA license with the approval and oversight of the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) in Jamaica.

Dr Herbert Fritsche, Apollon’s chief science officer, and former Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Chief of the Clinical Chemistry Section at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, said: “Having licensed physicians treating cancer patients using the Apollon products, as well as, initiating clinical trials on numerous cancer types will allow the collection of valuable clinical data. This is a very scientifically exciting time for Apollon, and we look forward to publishing our clinical results in a peer-reviewed journal.”