Incannex plugs Eurofin Scientific to kick off research into newly discovered cannabinoid

The pharma company developing therapies for unmet needs with the use of medicinal cannabinoids and psychedelics, Incannex Healthcare (ASX: IHL), has been on the move recently and has engaged Eurofins Scientific to manufacture the Company’s ReneCann therapeutic topical application drug.

Eurofins Scientific, which is a French group of laboratories based out of Luxemburg, is a multinational contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) with significant experience in the production of topical cannabinoid formulations.

Incannex’s ReneCann product is a proprietary cannabinoid formulation that will be used to treat dermatological conditions caused by disorders within the immune system. Combining Cannabigerol (‘CBG’) and Cannabidiol (‘CBD’) into a single formulation, it is designed to target disorders such as vitiligo, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis, which is otherwise known as eczema. It was only earlier this year when Incannex acquired the patents for the formulation as it was included as a part of the APIRx acquisition which was finalised in August 2022.

“The production of ReneCann adds a new route of cannabinoid delivery to the Incannex portfolio, opening the possibility for direct application of cannabinoid medicines to affected areas in dermatological conditions,” said Dr Mark Bleackley, Incannex CEO.

You are likely already familiar with the non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD (cannabidiol), but the other non-psychoactive cannabinoid, CBG, you may not be. CBG is a cannabinoid similar to CBD but has highly potent anti-inflammatory properties. It doesn’t leave the user feeling ‘high’ but rather plays a role in enhancing pleasure and motivation, regulating appetite and sleep, alleviating pain and most importantly, providing anti-inflammatory properties.

“ReneCann is also Incannex’s first product to incorporate CBG, a minor cannabinoid. Expansion into minor cannabinoids provides us the opportunity to explore different activity profiles of this diverse family of molecules across a range of new therapeutic areas.”

To initiate research and gauge the feasibility of the drug, a previous version of ReneCann was used in an in-human proof of concept study with dosing over a 6-week period to see its effects and the scope of its treatment.

In the study, ReneCann produced highly promising results. Patients with vitiligo, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis were observed to experience improvements in symptoms of 10%, 33% and 22% respectively.

The most encouraging results were the participants with vitiligo, partly on the basis that the disease is found in 0.5-1% of the global population, and current treatments are extremely limited.

To give you an idea of what this disease is, vitiligo occurs when pigment-producing cells found in the skin stops producing melanin, causing a loss of skin colour in patches around the body which grow larger over time. In fact, one of the most famous fashion models, Winnie Harlow, was born with vitiligo and incorporates it as part of her look.

The ReneCann drug will soon be handed over to Eurofins CDMO to produce the product for use in clinical trials that will confirm both the safety and the therapeutic effects when treating the aforementioned diseases.