Oxford University is teaming with Kingsley Capital Partners on a multi-million dollar medical cannabis research program to develop new therapies for acute and chronic conditions, according to a CNBC report. Kingsley is providing up to $12.36 million for the program through its new biopharmaceutical arm Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies.
University scientists hope to develop new treatments for pain, cancer, and inflammatory diseases by studying the molecular, cellular, and systems mechanisms of cannabinoids.
“Cannabinoid research has started to produce exciting biological discoveries and this research program is a timely opportunity to increase our understanding of the role of cannabinoids in health and disease,” Ahmed Ahmed, professor of gynecological oncology at Oxford University, said in a statement. “This field holds great promise for developing novel therapeutic opportunities for cancer patients.”
Neil Mahapatra, managing partner at Kingsley, said that research into the particular pathways and mechanisms of cannabis that provide relief for chronic pain patients is “limited and long overdue,” adding that any breakthroughs could “help millions of people around the world.”
In January, the United Kingdom’s Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency reclassified CBD as a medicine; however there is still not access to full plant medical cannabis in the nation.