CB2 has entered into a partnership with FCM Global, the first Colombian cannabis company to be fully licensed to cultivate, manufacture and export low-THC cannabis extracts for research and clinical trials. Â
In a statement, the Toronto-based company said the partnership will work to create market access and design clinical trials to support the deployment of future FCM cannabinoid-based products.
FCM owns and operates a 235,800 sq ft production facility in La Ceja, Antioquia, as well as an expanded cultivation and biomass production facility of 474 hectares in Tolima.
CB2, a Canadian medical cannabis-focused data firm, said it will look to blend its clinical operations with “technology, analytics clinical research expertise” to support FCM with market access, data collection and analysis, and drug discovery.
CB2 Insights CEO Prad Sekar said: “Research remains the primary gap between new government regulations and patient access – with physicians creating a major barrier due to a lack of understanding of how to prescribe and integrate cannabinoid therapy into traditional treatment programmes.”
He added: “In partnership with FCM, we will look to collect real-world evidence data to allow physicians to become more confident, the industry can be more informed and ultimately creating access for patients incorporating cannabinoid-based therapies into their traditional healthcare.”
Unlocking potential
Sekar said the Colombian company continues to show its leadership by recognising that traditional healthcare protocols are the key to unlocking the potential of medical cannabis.
“We look forward to laying a framework that places an importance in clinical trials for new products going forward,” he added.
Both companies are working to increase physician education with respect to how best to incorporate CBD-based medicine into their patients’ treatment plans.
“We are proud of the foundation that we have built in Colombia and we are ideally suited to bring about traditional pharmaceutical protocols into our business with the help of a well-established contract research organization,” said FCM Global CEO Filipe Velasquez.
“CB2 Insights’ is that ideal partner as they have outstanding international experience but also have localized support to ensure we put these plans into motion efficiently and effectively,” he added.
