8th August 2018: Animal health company CannPal Animal Therapeutics Limited (ASX:CP1) (“CannPal” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The University of Melbourne (‘the University’) to broaden the Company’s research pipeline.
Key Highlights
- CannPal has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with The University of Melbourne for veterinary research
- CannPal and the University will work towards a pilot study to determine cannabidiol’s efficacy in the treatment of epilepsy in dogs
- The MOU builds on CannPal’s current research pipeline which includes the Phase 1B study for CPAT-01, a pain control in dogs, and its extension CPAT-01C for cats
Under the terms of the MOU, CannPal and the University will work on terms to establish a cooperative relationship in the field of veterinary science to complete a pilot study to determine the efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD) treatment for epilepsy in dogs in 2019. Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive compound derived from cannabis with a number of reported health benefits which include anxiolytic, antiinflammatory, antibacterial and antiseizure properties.
In June 2018, the U.S Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex (cannabidiol) oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy in human patients of 2 years of age and older. This is the first FDA-approved drug that contains a purified drug substance derived from marijuana and the Company is hopeful that similar effects using cannabinoids can be seen in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy.
The MOU with the University hopes to build on CannPal’s strong research pipeline which is being led by Dr Margaret Curtis, the Company’s head of Research and Development.
“This MOU with the University of Melbourne is the latest in a long line of strategic agreements CannPal has entered, to establish the Company as a global leader in cannabinoid-derived therapeutics for companion animals. Its further validation of the high-quality research we are undertaking and we look forward to working with the University on this project”