Lexaira Bioscience demonstrates high bioavailability in CBD platform
The results of a trial examining absorption levels from the cannabidiol (CBD) DehydraTECH platform suggested a five- to ten-fold increase in CBD bioavailability compared to positive control capsules.
DehydraTECH is a drug delivery platform designed to assist with the body’s utilization of lipophilic molecules. According to Chris Bunka, CEO of Lexaira, the platform combines cannabinoids with fatty acid oil, food carrier particles and undergoes a dehydration procedure to ensure a quicker transportation into the bloodstream, without degradation through metabolism, leading to high bioavailability.
“Higher bioavailability can lead to decreased loads on organs, like the liver and kidneys. It can lead to, for instance, a 250mg ibuprofen tablet having the same pain-fighting characteristics as a non-tech-enhanced 500mg tablet," he told us.
"It can lead to any number of new drug formulations that rely on more efficient delivery instead of the sledge-hammer approach so commonly used today of just adding more API [active pharmaceutical ingredient] that can increase the likelihood of poor outcomes,” he added.
Improved bioavailability needs to be discussed in multiple areas, not just with cannabinoids, said Bunka: “We offer DehydraTECH as a dinner plate: we provide a delivery structure for any number of active substances that our partners and clients might decide to deliver."
“NSAIDs, for example, are associated with thousands of deaths in the US every year from variations of gastric bleeding and other ailments," he explained.
"Yet NSAIDs, like ibuprofen and aspirin-varieties, are available for purchase over the counter in hundreds of thousands of locations across America. Lexaria’s DehydraTECH technology is patented for the more efficient delivery not just of cannabinoids, but also of NSAIDs and in fact also for delivery of certain vitamins and even nicotine.”
Cannabinoids as pharmaceuticals
An article published by NCBI stated that cannabidiol has non-intoxicating effects and beneficial pharmacological effects. “In fact, its safety is curiously unchallenged by few other than the most die-hard opponents,” Bunka agreed. It is asserted in a study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) that in high doses CBD can treat a range of disorders from schizophrenia and dementia to diabetes and nausea.
Bunka said thousands of people have identified cannabinoids, primarily CBD-type cannabinoids, as a solution to their medical ills. He also remarked that the term, ‘medical marijuana’ is a “horrible, ill-defined term”; implying that cannabinoids are more than just marijuana used to treat medical issues, they are therapies.
“CBD is an interesting molecule. GW Pharmaceuticals recently had its Epidiolex drug – a CBD drug – approved by the FDA for certain seizure disorder applications. But outside of Epidiolex, CBD remains a controlled substance in the USA, and the State of California recently instituted a ban on CBD in foodstuffs,” said Bunka.
Bunka asserted that there is a big difference between US Food and Drug Administration-approved drug therapies and consumer supplements that may or may not have effectiveness.
He stated that regulation is driving industry to find more efficient and effective means of dosing, including the dosing of cannabinoids like CBD. Lexaira is planning additional clinical investigations to optimize DehydraTECH delivery technology as a way to make dosing more efficient and eventually regulated.
“Personally, I believe we will witness a flood of research into CBD beginning in the months and quarters to come. I actually would not be surprised to witness CBD research to become one of the hottest areas of research of any field in 2019 and 2020 as more evidence is gathered pointing to its interesting qualities,” he told us.
