Avicanna Inc. (TSX: AVCN) (OTCQX: AVCNF) (FSE: 0NN) has signed a partnership with Vancouver’s Langara College research arm to look at the company’s proprietary cannabinoid-based formulations and pharmaceutical pipeline.
The company announced the partnership on Tuesday with the Applied Research Centre at the college. The research collaboration has received a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Applied Research and Development Grant for two years starting the second quarter of this year.
Mugglehead has reached out to the college for further information about the grant.
The research will be led by Jessica Kalra’s group at the Applied Research Centre and collaborating with Avicanna’s R&D team to expand in vitro and in vivo research of the company’s drug delivery systems and commercial formulations including under the RHO Phyto brand.
“It is a very exciting time to be researching non-psychoactive pharmaceutically relevant cannabinoids, their impact on the body and how they can be best formulated to provide optimal therapeutic activity,” Kalra said.
Avicanna stock went up by 7 per cent on Tuesday to $0.30 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
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Kalra, a distinguished Research Scientist at Langara College’s Applied Research Centre, also holds the position of Assistant Teaching Professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical at the University of British Columbia.
In addition, she is a staff scientist in the experimental therapeutics department at the British Columbia Cancer Research Centre. With a rich experience spanning over two decades in the field of drug discovery and cell and molecular research, Kalra has made significant contributions to assessing drug efficacy using various in vitro and in vivo models.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Dr. Kalra’s group and look forward to create a deeper understanding of our proprietary cannabinoid formulations which may yield advancements in our drug candidates.” EVP of R&D at Avicanna Frantz Le Devedec said.
Avicanna announced last March a new medical cannabis care site MyMedi.ca after it started its takeover of Loblaw Companies Limited (TSX: L) Shoppers Drug Mart this year.
Last October the company sent an application to patent a cannabinoid medicine aimed to treat severe symptoms of epilepsy such as sudden death and seizures.
Read more: Langara College partners with local producers for $3.7M cannabis research project
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Langara has received other cannabis-focused funding in the past
In 2021, the Vancouver-based school announced that its Applied Science for the Canadian Cannabis Industry project had received a total of $3.7 million in funding, one of the largest grants received by a post-secondary institution in the province.
The funds included $2 million from the NSERC, $1.3 million from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and an additional $400,000 from industry partners Ascension Sciences, Nextleaf Solutions Ltd. (CSE: OILS) (OTCQB: OILFF) and Pure Sunfarms, a subsidiary of Village Farms International Inc. (TSX: VFF) (Nasdaq: VFF).
