SciCann Therapeutics receives notice of allowance for its enhanced CBD therapy US patent for NASH

TORONTO and TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 02, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SciCann Therapeutics is pleased to announce that it has received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO) for its US patent application covering the use of the proprietary SCN-002 enhanced CBD therapy for the treatment of NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis).

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition in which fat builds up in the liver due to causes other than alcohol use, while non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a type of NAFLD in which inflammation, fibrosis and liver cell damage occur as a result of the fat deposits accumulated in the liver tissue. Several health conditions prevalent in the western society, including obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, are considered as risk factors for the development of NAFLD and NASH. No medicines have yet been approved by the FDA for the treatment of these conditions.

The SCN-002 drug candidate is a novel synergistic combination of CBD and an additional botanical anti-inflammatory compound that presumably also prevents fat accumulation in the liver tissue. Pre-clinical studies performed by SciCann have demonstrated substantial synergistic effects between the two components of its proprietary SCN-002 therapy for the treatment of NASH, with a five-fold increased efficacy comparing to CBD alone, as measured by reduction of liver inflammation markers and liver enzymes elevation levels in the model animals.

SciCann is currently preparing for the launch of a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase II clinical study in a leading medical center in Israel to verify the safety and efficacy of the SCN-002 product for early to mid stage NASH patients.

Dr. Zohar Koren, Co-founder and CEO of SciCann Therapeutics, stated, "NAFLD is the most common liver disorder in developed countries with an estimate of 75 to 100 million Americans suffering from the disease, while NASH, the inflammatory and fibrotic derivative of NAFLD, affects around 15 to 20 million US patients^[1]. NASH might lead to complications such as cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and cardiovascular disease, and is expected to become the leading cause of need for a liver transplant in the western world over the next few years. The fact that no therapies have yet been approved specifically for these highly prevalent indications creates a huge unmet need for novel treatments targeting liver inflammation. The positive preclinical results we have obtained so far with the SCN-002 enhanced CBD product, together with the approval by the USPTO of the US patent application covering its use for the treatment of NASH, create a solid base for the further development of this revolutionary drug candidate for NASH patients under rigorous clinical studies to be launched in Israel in the near future." 

[1] Younossi Z, Anstee QM, Marietti M, Hardy T, Henry L, Eslam M, George J, Bugianesi E (January 2018). "Global burden of NAFLD and NASH: trends, predictions, risk factors and prevention". Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 15 (1): 11?20.

About SciCann Therapeutics
SciCann Therapeutics is a Canadian-Israeli specialty pharmaceutical company, dedicated to the development and commercialization of novel and disruptive pharmaceutical products that target and modulate the endocannabinoid system. SciCann Therapeutics is active in the fields of inflammatory disorders, oncology and neurodegenerative diseases and develops a line of proprietary cannabinoid-based products for the treatment of chosen life-threatening conditions that present a high level of unmet need.
SciCann has created a network of collaborations with leading academic centers and medical institutions in Israel in order to engage in cutting edge science and rigorous clinical studies to develop its products, while using the permissive regulatory climate in Israel for performing its R&D programs quickly and efficiently.

Additional Information

Dr. Zohar Koren,
SciCann Therapeutics,
Chief Executive Officer 
Email: [email protected]
Cell: +972-52-733-1424