Jun 13, 2023
Vancouver, BC — The Applied Research Centre at Langara College and Avicanna Inc., a commercial stage, international biopharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization of evidence-based, cannabinoid-based products, have entered a research collaboration that will focus on Avicanna’s proprietary formulations and pharmaceutical pipeline.
This research collaboration has been awarded a peer-reviewed grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Applied Research and Development Grant for a period of two years starting Q2 2023.
Dr. Jessica Kalra’s group at the Applied Research Centre will be collaborating with Avicanna’s research team to perform and expand in vitro and in vivo research of the company’s drug delivery systems and commercial formulations included under the RHO Phyto™ brand. Through the outcomes of the research collaboration they look to gain a better understanding of the absorption, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic properties of the formulations, which may contribute towards product pipeline developments.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Dr. Kalra’s group and look forward to creating a deeper understanding of our proprietary cannabinoid formulations which may yield advancements in our drug candidates,” said Dr. Frantz Le Devedec, EVP, Avicanna.
“It is a very exciting time to be researching non-psychoactive pharmaceutically relevant cannabinoids, their impact on the body and how they can be best formulated to provide optimal therapeutic activity. Our team is delighted to have this opportunity to work with Avicanna to support the translation of cannabinoids from bench to bedside,” added Dr. Kalra.
Dr. Kalra is a research scientist in the Applied Research Centre at Langara College, an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical at the University of British Columbia, and a Staff Scientist in the department of Experimental Therapeutics at the British Columbia Cancer Research Centre. Dr. Kalra has over 20 years of experience in drug discovery, cell and molecular research including evaluating drug efficacy in various in vitro and in vivo models, and developing novel nanoparticle formulations to address challenges to drug delivery that stem from heterogeneity of disease and/or solubility and lipophilicity of drug entities. The research team has expertise in formulation science and cell and tissue culture that supports the analysis of novel drug entities from a chemical and in vitro biology perspective.
About snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College
Located in beautiful Vancouver, B.C., Canada, snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College provides university-level education to more than 19,000 students annually. With more than 1,700 courses and 130 programs, Langara’s expansive academic breadth and depth allows students of all ages, backgrounds, and life stages to choose their own educational path. Langara is also known as snəw̓eyəɬ leləm, ‘house of teachings’, a name given to it by Musqueam, on whose unceded traditional territory the College is located.
About Avicanna Inc.
Avicanna is a commercial-stage international biopharmaceutical company focused on the advancement and commercialization of evidence-based cannabinoid-based products for the global medical and pharmaceutical market segments. Avicanna has an established scientific platform including R&D and clinical development that has led to the commercialization of more than thirty products across various market segments.
Learn more.
Mark Dawson
Manager, Public Affairs
Langara College
mdawson@langara.ca