Benzinga | Jul 28, 2021 08:37AM EDT

EXCLUSIVE: 180 Life Sciences Identifies New Patentable CBD Analog For Drug Development For Treating Inflammation, Pain

180 Life Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ:ATNF) has identified a new synthetic CBD analog that is non-psychoactive and could have benefits in the reduction of inflammation and pain, the company announced on Wednesday.

The clinical-stage biotechnology company is focused on the development of novel drugs to treat inflammatory diseases, fibrosis and pain.

"Our lead compound HUM-217, a CBD derivative generated by cannabis chemistry pioneer Prof. Raphael Mechoulam meets all the criteria desirable to advance to clinical development," 180 Life Sciences CEO Dr. James Woody said.

The discovery came from a partnership between the 180 Life Sciences and Mechoulam, a veteran cannabinoid researcher from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, along with Sir Marc Feldmann's Laboratory at Oxford University.

The novel compound, which has patent protection potential, has been chosen by 180 Life Sciences as a lead drug candidate in upcoming clinical trials.

The company also mentioned that HUM-217's feasibility for GMP scalability and its preclinical efficacy in animal studies led to its choice for future drug development efforts. The molecule showed preliminary success in the treatment of pain and inflammation in mice.

"It is a real pleasure to announce the progress that has been made, a step forward towards the more effective use of pure synthetic cannabinoids in medicine. We look forward to continuing the development of these compounds in clinical trials," said Feldmann, 180 Life Sciences executive co-chairman.

Photo by Terry Vlisidis on Unsplash