Apollon Formularies Plc (AQSE: APOL) (“Apollon” or the “Company”), a UK based international medical cannabis pharmaceutical company trading on Aquis Stock Exchange, is pleased to announce that the International Cancer and Chronic Pain Institute is now officially open and has welcomed the first cancer patients to be treated with Apollon’s proprietary medical cannabis products.
Highlights include:
- International Cancer and Chronic Pain Institute Officially Opens to Patients
- First cancer patients treated with Apollon’s Medical Cannabis Products
- Apollon’s Medical Cannabis Products were recently shown to be highly effective in killing cancer cells
- Clinical trials to be performed on Apollon’s proprietary Medical Cannabis Products
All cancer patients will be treated by experienced specialist physicians with additional expertise in Cannabinoid Medicine, led by Dr Margaret Dingle Spence, an Oncologist and the Medical Director of the International Cancer and Chronic Pain Center in Kingston, Jamaica. These doctors will be exclusively prescribing Apollon products for patients being treated with medical cannabis.
Apollon’s proprietary medical cannabis products were recently shown in pre-clinical 3rd party, independent testing at BIOENSIS laboratories in the United States to be highly effective in killing cancer cells using state-of-the-art 3D cell culture testing. The successful BIOENSIS results in breast cancer and prostate cancer were previously announced by the Company.
In addition to now treating international and local Jamaican patients, the International Cancer and Chronic Pain Institute physicians intend to initiate clinical trials on Apollon’s proprietary medical cannabis products through Apollon’s CLA license with the approval and oversight of the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) in Jamaica.
“This is a huge milestone for Apollon”, stated Stephen D. Barnhill, MD, Chairman and CEO of Apollon Formularies, plc, “After many years of researching, developing, manufacturing and testing these proprietary Apollon medical cannabis formulations, we are so proud to announce that they are now available to cancer patients by physician prescription at the International Cancer and Chronic Pain Institute”.
Dr. Herbert Fritsche, Apollon’s Chief Science Officer, and Former Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Chief of the Clinical Chemistry Section at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas stated, “Having licensed physicians treating cancer patients using the Apollon products, as well as, initiating clinical trials on numerous cancer types will allow the collection of valuable clinical data. This is a very scientifically exciting time for Apollon, and we look forward to publishing our clinical results in a peer-reviewed journal”.
The establishment of a legal market for medicinal cannabis in Jamaica via the passage of the Dangerous Drugs Amendment Act (DDAA) 2015 was lauded as a significant economic opportunity for Jamaica’s developing economy, with the potential to contribute export earnings, attract foreign investment and encourage cannabis tourism. Under the DDAA, a new government agency (Cannabis Licensing Authority, CLA) was established with a mandate of developing detailed regulations for the new industry, issuing licenses, and monitoring the compliance of licensed operators with regulatory requirements. The DDAA does not restrict the medical conditions that qualify for a doctor’s recommendation to legally obtain medicinal cannabis or the types of products that can be sold via CLA-licensed outlets. ¹ Apollon Formularies Jamaica is proud to be an established CLA-licensed company.
We are very excited to now have these Apollon Products available to cancer patients in Jamaica and international patients coming to Jamaica for treatment” Stated Paul Burke, CEO Apollon Formularies Jamaica. “Traditional chemotherapy, radiation and surgery cancer treatment protocols are expensive and require a great deal of infrastructure. As a result, many men and women in Jamaica and worldwide have gone without treatment or with only limited treatment. Apollon is now pleased to be providing these patients with another option”.
Stephen D. Barnhill, Jr., Chief Operating Officer for Jamaica, the Caribbean and North America stated “I am so proud of our entire team in Jamaica who have accomplished this incredible achievement. Their passion for helping patients and dedication to reaching this goal has now become a reality.”
Stene Jacobs, Chief Operating Officer for European and African Operations of Apollon Formularies, commented: “I am delighted to see the progress we have made as a company in Jamaica. Our goal as a company is to now expand this success into other markets globally”
Further Information
On 19 July 2021, Apollon announced that their proprietary medical cannabis formulations were shown in third party independent clinical laboratory testing to be effective in killing both hormone-resistant and hormone-sensitive prostate cancer cells in 3D cell cultures by direct cytotoxicity.
June 28, 2021, Apollon announced that their proprietary medical cannabis formulations were shown in third party independent clinical laboratory testing to be effective in killing triple-negative breast cancer cells in 3D cell culture by direct cell cytotoxicity.
May 18, 2021, Apollon announced that their proprietary medical cannabis formulations were shown in third party independent clinical laboratory testing to be effective in killing HER2+ breast cancer cells in 3D cell culture by direct cytotoxicity.
¹ Foreign investment in emerging legal medicinal cannabis markets: the Jamaica case study, Marta Rychert, Machel Anthony Emanuel & Chris Wilkins Globalization and Health volume 17, Article number: 38 (2021)
