Tilray Backs First Human Study On Medical Marijuana Used For Breast Cancer Drug Side Effects

Tilray, Inc. TLRY announced Thursday it has imported medical cannabis into the U.S. from Canada to back a new clinical trial.

The research aims to examine the efficacy of medical cannabis in treating people who have breast cancer and suffer from taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy, secondary to treatment with paclitaxel or docetaxel, the company said.

It is the first human study to examine the effects of medical cannabis onpeople who suffer from TIPN, the company said. 

“We’re excited to support this groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind trial seeking to find a new treatment option for TIPN,” Philippe Lucas, Tilray’s vice president of global patient research and access, said in a statement.

“Tilray is committed to advancing cannabis research through its support of clinical trials around the world as we continue to enhance our understanding of the potential benefits of medical cannabis.”

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The trial will be a randomized placebo-controlled study led by Diana Martinez, M.D., professor of psychiatry, and Margaret Haney, Ph.D., professor of neurobiology in psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

“There is a critical need for randomized controlled clinical studies to test the efficacy of cannabis in patients. There is exciting preclinical evidence showing that THC and CBD significantly reduce TIPN, and our study will be the first to test this in a well powered clinical trial,” Haney said in a statement.

The company has already supported medical trials that researched the efficacy of medical cannabis as a treatment for indications including pediatric epilepsy, essential tremor, PTSD and alcohol use disorder. 

Tilray shares were up 5.39% at $23.85 at the time of publication.