The success of the Walkman back in the 1980s is testament to the power of getting to market first. By some accounts, Sony sold over 200 million units of its innovative portable cassette player (http://dtn.fm/CV8Et). Now, India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE MKT: IGC) is taking a leaf from the Sony playbook. This pioneering company is a ‘first mover’ in the cannabinoid combination therapy space. IGC is developing a portfolio of products that use cannabinoids in conjunction with existing drugs to tackle chronic pain and a variety of other debilitating medical conditions.
Chronic pain from a range of ailments plagues millions around the world, and many of the analgesics employed to treat it, such as morphine, codeine, and hydrocodone, are opioids. However, opioids are notoriously addictive and their use is often subverted from pain relief. Used as recreational drugs, ‘opioid addiction is America’s 50-state epidemic’, the New York Times has reported (http://dtn.fm/YcgB8), with an effect that is fatal in many instances. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 29,000 Americans die every year from opioid-related overdoses. In light of these frightening developments, there is a growing imperative for less addictive anodynes.
The time is right. Results, published on Monday, April 17, of a Yahoo/Marist poll (http://dtn.fm/mKg7o) show that the public is not only becoming more apprehensive about opioids, but is warming to the use of cannabinoids to treat pain. ‘Two-thirds of the respondents in the telephone survey said opioid drugs such as Vicodin or OxyContin are “riskier” to use than pot, even when the pain pills are prescribed by a doctor.’ They will be happy to hear that IGC is coming to the rescue. The company has filed a patent for IGC-501, a cannabis-based formulation that addresses neuropathic and arthritic pain in joints and muscles using a variety of delivery techniques. IGC expects to begin pre-clinical trials for IGC-501 this year. Since approximately 80 percent of the global opioid supply is consumed in the United States, this presents a domestic market opportunity estimated at about $25 billion.
IGC-501, with its potential to replace treacherously addictive opioids, is not all that IGC has up its sleeve. The company has a robust portfolio of five other combination drug candidates with both human and veterinary applications. It has filed two patents, IGC-502 and IGC-505, for the treatment of seizures in dogs and cats. Most animal seizures stem from epilepsy, which is more common in dogs and cats than formerly recognized. About five percent of dogs and about one percent of cats are epileptic.
It also has IGC-503, aimed at refractory epilepsy, a term that’s used to describe cases of epilepsy that are unresponsive to current medications. Refractory epilepsy affects about 50 million in the U.S. alone. In the pipeline as well is IGC-504, intended for those who suffer from cachexia, known as wasting syndrome. About 1.3 million in the U.S. experience cachexia associated with cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, HIV/AIDS and other devastating maladies. In addition, there is IGC-506, designed to combat eating disorders, which are said to affect about 30 million Americans (http://dtn.fm/d1SEs).
IGC is out to save the world, it seems. Earlier this month, the company announced it had filed patent applications for IGC-501 in Canada, Israel and Europe in support of its ongoing cannabis-based combination therapy development initiatives.
“In 2017, our goal is to accelerate the development of our cannabis-based therapy portfolio to support key indications such as pain, seizures, cachexia, PTSD, and depression. In tandem, we expect to initiate pre-clinical trials on IGC-501-pain, IGC-502-seizures and IGC-504-cachexia,” CEO Ram Mukunda stated in a news release.
That is welcome news to the many millions who suffer daily from these conditions.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.IGCinc.us
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