PuraMed BioScience Develops a Cannabis-Based Epilepsy Drug

Today, PuraMed Bioscience, Inc. announced its plans to initiate testing of a new hemp-based epilepsy medication this year.

PuraMed, a researcher, developer and marketer of over-the-counter (OTC) medicinal and healthcare products, said that it plans to begin testing a new hemp-based medication for treatment of epilepsy in the fourth quarter of 2014.

According to an article in Seizure, the prevalence of migraine in people who experience epilepsy is 8.4 to 20 percent. Additionally, an estimated 64 percent of epilepsy sufferers also experience seizure-related (ictal) headaches, of which 20 percent experience headache prior to the seizure (pre-ictal) and 44 percent experience headache after the seizure (post-ictal).

“As we looked at the similarities between migraine and epilepsy the treatment path became obvious,” said Russell Mitchell, CEO and Chairman of PuraMed BioScience. “Epilepsy and migraine seem to be triggered by the same cortical spreading depression (CSD) in the brain; the difference is the rate of reaction. This may be why many migraineurs are prescribed epileptic medications.”

Epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder in the US, affecting approximately 2.7 million people, with children and older adults being most susceptible. Epilepsy also causes up to 50,000 sudden deaths each year. The condition often affects veterans wounded in combat. According to Citizens United to Cure Epilepsy, approximately 22 percent of the 440,000 military service men and women who experienced traumatic brain injury are expected to develop post-traumatic epilepsy.

Mitchell said that the company has developed a formula and is ready to start setting up trials. As an natural extension to PuraMed’s product line, key researchers have expressed interest in working with the company on CBD-based products.

“Standardization is key to creating a quality sublingual formula,” said Mitchell. “Sublingual delivery offers the distinct advantages of faster delivery and efficiency while avoiding the ‘first pass effect’ that often degrades oral medications. Our goal is to build medicines that withstand scientific scrutiny and perform well in double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trials. We believe that the efficacy of our formulations will be proven by scientific trials. This type of testing lends credibility to our line of natural medications which often work faster, more effectively, and have fewer side effects than their chemical-based counterparts.”

Source: PuraMed BioScience, Inc.

Last updated: 8/5/14; 3:50pm EST