Prohibition Partners are pleased to announce the publication of The Pharmaceutical Cannabis Report: 3rd Edition, which is now available to purchase online.
The report, co-authored in collaboration with Cannabiscientia, gives a clear and detailed account of all activity involving cannabis and cannabinoids in the landscape of pharmaceutical medicine at a global level.
The entry of cannabis and cannabinoids into the heavily regulated channels of standardised modern medicine is still in its early stages globally. Only a select few cannabinoid products are currently approved for the treatment of a limited number of conditions, though off-label use is widespread.
The main challenge in getting a medicine approved is in managing to get it to successful completion of all the stages of clinical trials. Difficulties in establishing intellectual property (IP) around cannabinoid treatments is holding back new research and development.
There is one company which is currently dominant in the global pharmaceutical cannabis industry – Jazz Pharmaceuticals, primarily through its leading medicine Epidiolex. Pain, from various conditions, is by far the most prevalent symptom treated in clinical trials involving cannabinoids since 2010.
CBD in isolation from other cannabinoids is generating significant recent activity as a treatment in clinical trials, though over the past 13 years there has been a larger focus on treatments involving multiple cannabinoids (primarily THC +CBD). Clinical trials featuring patented compounds (Sativex and Epidiolex) dominate completed phase 3 trials. No obvious patterns determine success in clinical trials featuring cannabinoid treatment.
There is growing interest in research around non-cannabinoid compounds targeting the endocannabinoid system. Jazz Pharmaceuticals also dominated the patent landscape for the medical application of cannabinoids, and has a patent portfolio which dwarfs that of any other company involved in patenting activity around the medical application of cannabinoids. CBD and THC are still seeing the majority of patent activity versus other cannabinoids, as they have historically.
A large amount of activity is also focused on cannabinoids and compounds that are closely related to these cannabinoids, for example CBDV, THCV, CBDA, and relevant prodrugs and analogues. The most commonly featured conditions in the patent landscape include epilepsy, cancer and associated conditions, seizures, and autism spectrum disorder. Technological and innovative advances in a range of industries, including agritech, biotech and medicine, are currently being used, developed and adopted to enhance the entire pharmaceutical cannabis value chain.
The key innovative developments that are showing promise in the pharmaceutical cannabis industry are the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robots to optimise cannabis cultivation; the development of micropropagation techniques and the use of F1 hybrid seeds; and new delivery formats and cannabinoid formulations.
Global sales within the pharmaceutical cannabis industry are estimated to reach approximately US$1.11 billion in 2023, with projected growth to US$1.37 billion by 2027. Market size within the pharmaceutical cannabis industry primarily consists of three cannabinoid treatments: Epidiolex, dronabinol, and Sativex. Epidiolex (Epidyolex in Europe) is the dominant player in the market, with an estimated market share of around 76% projected for 2023.
Growth rates are primarily driven by the consistent sales performance of Epidiolex. The majority of pharmaceutical cannabis sales are concentrated in the United States and Europe.
The Pharmaceutical Cannabis Report: 3rd Edition is now available to purchase via the Prohibition Partners website. Alongside the report, additional data and insight packages are available, including:
Global Clinical Trials Database: A comprehensive list of 440 clinical trials involving cannabis and cannabinoids taking place since 2010.
Patent Portfolio: A comprehensive review of the patent portfolios of Jazz Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (split into those held by GW Research Ltd., and those held by GW Pharmaceuticals Ltd.), and of six other leading companies involved in patenting activity for the medical application of cannabis and cannabinoids.
