Colorado-based Day Three Labs announced this week that the world’s first government-sponsored cannabis technology incubator will fund the company’s research into using cannabis as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Day Three labs is a cannabinoid consumer products ingredient manufacturer specializing in the development and commercialization of novel cannabis products with its headquarters in Denver and a research facility in Israel, where regulations make studying cannabis far easier than in the United States. The firm is the only company to have passed the first phase of the CanNegev program, a cannabis technology incubator that receives funding from the Israeli government.
Colorado-based Day Three Labs announced this week that it has received funding from Israeli cannabis … [+]
With the completion of the first phase of the CanNegev program, which included solidifying the concept and developing the project idea, Day Three Labs has received funding for the second phase to start research and data collection for presentation to the Israel Innovation Authority in September 2022. Through the research program, Day Three Labs plans to study cannabis compounds delivered via its proprietary Unlokt technology as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The funding from CanNegev will enable the company to find the combination of cannabinoids that work best to treat Parkinson’s disease and allow the company to carry the research from the lab to product development.
“Research shows that cannabis has the ability to ease Parkinson’s symptoms in patients, but to date, no one has been able to decipher the exact combination of cannabinoids and terpenes for a consistent, reliable, and repeatable remedy,” Dr. Shimon Lecht, chief innovation officer at Day Three Labs, said in a statement from the company on Monday.
Parkinson’s Disease Affects 10 Million Worldwide
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable or unintended movements, stiffness and difficulties with balance and coordination in more than 10 million patients worldwide. Common treatments include medications to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, but there is no known cure for the condition.
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A study published by the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease in 2020 determined that nearly 10% of Parkinson’s patients in Germany, where cannabis has been approved as a treatment for the condition since 2017, use cannabis to treat their symptoms. But with an almost inexhaustible variety of marijuana strains and other cannabis products available from both licensed and illicit sources, choosing a formulation that will consistently provide relief can be challenging.
“There are over a trillion possible combinations of cannabinoids and terpenes that could be derived from the cannabis plant, but only a handful are the optimal combination to treat Parkinson’s,” said Lecht. “Our mission is to discover the correct combination, and to identify the precise ratio so all active ingredients interact in the right way with each other. We can then leverage our Unlokt technology to make a product that will deliver the precise combination of cannabinoids and terpenes to patients quickly, safely and effectively.”
Research Focused On Proprietary Cannabis Technology
The Unlokt technology packs cannabis within a natural protein that bypasses the liver and shuttles the cannabis directly into the body’s circulation, which protects the cannabinoids and terpenes and allows them to be released and absorbed into the bloodstream in their entirety. The process allows the body to receive the intended amount of cannabinoids to produce the desired effect. Day Three Labs says that the delivery method is safe and offers predictable, functional effects for consumers and patients. The company believes the innovation will soon replace emulsion-based cannabinoid delivery systems used by cannabis edibles manufacturers across the industry.
Day Three Labs’ Unlokt technology is used to manufacture cannabis gummies from Olio.
COURTESY OF OLIO
“Unlokt is a significant leap in technology that will disrupt traditional research and delivery of cannabinoid compounds and beyond,” said Josh Rubin, co-founder and CEO of Day Three Labs. “Utilizing a groundbreaking technology like Unlokt in the adult-use market is revolutionary and game-changing, and creates incredibly enjoyable products, but it only scratches the surface of what this technology is capable of. Our work with CanNegev is just the beginning of the technological advances we are bringing to this fast-growing industry with the hope of eradicating previously untreatable illnesses and conditions and bringing solutions to the cannabis industry that are safer, more efficacious and efficient.”
The third and final phase of the CanNegev technology incubator program will require a presentation of the proof of concept to the Israel Innovation Authority to secure additional funding of 1.25 million Israeli Shekels (about $360,000) for product development, 70% of which is a government grant. In addition to Israeli government support, CanNegev partners with three privately owned companies for this program: Breath of Life, Our Crowd and Padagis. To qualify for funding, companies must be registered in Israel and have a strong technology focus.
“Parkinson’s disease and other neuro-degenerative diseases have been notoriously difficult to treat, and the pharmaceutical industry has failed to develop appropriate solutions to address these terrible diseases or alleviate symptoms,” said Ziv Bet Or, vice president of business development at CanNegev. “Our mission has been solely focused on funding tech-focused companies with proven innovation that has the potential to advance from the research stage to the drug development stage to address unmet needs. [Day Three Labs] shows the potential to identify a breakthrough therapeutic remedy for Parkinson’s Disease symptoms and a pathway for effective delivery of the treatment.”
