LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vitality Biopharma, Inc. VBIO ("Vitality Biopharma", "Vitality", or the "Company") a corporation dedicated to the development of cannabinoid prodrug pharmaceuticals, and to unlocking the power of cannabinoids for the treatment of serious neurological and inflammatory disorders, today announced that during a recent in vitro safety pharmacological screening study its lead drug candidate VBX-100 demonstrated no signs of adverse pharmacological effects, affirming its potential for widespread clinical use as a GI-targeted prodrug of THC.
"With the positive safety profile seen in this study, our glycosylation platform clearly has succeeded in creating THC prodrugs with reduced potential for adverse or off-target effects," said Dr. Brandon Zipp, Director of Research and Development and Scientific Co-founder of Vitality Biopharma.
An industry standard study design was used for safety pharmacology screening of human receptor and transporter proteins, in work based upon the analysis of key drug safety targets recommended by four major pharmaceutical companies. As a GI-targeted prodrug of THC, VBX-100 is intended to be functionally inert after ingestion and until it is activated in the lower gastrointestinal tract. Once the VBX-100 prodrug releases THC, it can exert therapeutic effects and data indicates there is minimal systemic absorption. As a result, there is minimal entry of THC into the bloodstream or brain, avoiding psychoactivity, while also avoiding the adverse systemic effects of currently marketed immunosuppressants.
Vitality has filed for intellectual property protection on more than 100 different glycoside prodrugs, including VBX-100, a THC prodrug that is being developed for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and narcotic bowel syndrome, a severe form of opiate-induced abdominal pain.
VBX-100 is an oral prodrug of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that must be activated in the intestines to release THC in a controlled manner. In the safety pharmacology screening study where it was tested alongside THC, Vitality's VBX-100 prodrug demonstrated greatly reduced pharmacological activity against established safety targets, demonstrating a superior safety profile and clear potential for use as a THC prodrug. THC is best known as an agonist of the cannabinoid receptors, including CB1 and CB2, and it was found to modulate the activity of these receptors as well as a wide variety of additional human receptors and transporters.
Robert Brooke, CEO and Co-founder adds that, "As our team rapidly advances VBX-100 through the final stages required for first-in-human clinical studies in the U.S., these results are quite important and an early indicator that our THC prodrugs may be very well tolerated in future clinical trials."
About Vitality Biopharma VBIO
Vitality Biopharma is dedicated to unlocking the power of cannabinoids for the treatment of serious neurological and inflammatory disorders. For more information, visit: www.vitality.bio. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in Section 27(a) of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects and development stage companies. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact
Vitality Biopharma
Investor Relations
info@vitality.bio
1-530-231-7800
www.vitality.bio
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