Futura Medical PLC (LON:FUM) said its technology used to deliver pain medication and sexual health treatments through the skin barrier is proving successful in the field of cannabidiol (CBD).
It has just completed initial laboratory and optimisation work on a gel called CBD100 using its DermaSys discovery to carry the payload.
The lab work on human epidermis demonstrated “highly efficient penetration of cannabidiol into and through the skin”. Indeed, the approach was “superior to an established, marketed, comparator product”.
Cannabidiol is known to be unstable with many common ingredients it is formulated with to make it easier to take. However, the DermaSys gel was specially formulated to minimised these issues, investors were told.
Futura has now started to explore commercialisation options for CBD100 with joint-venture partner CBDerma as stability work continues in parallel.
In a statement, Futura chief executive James Barder said: “We are aiming for CBD100 to be highly differentiated from existing, largely un-regulated, low-tech products in the fast growing cannabidiol market on the basis of quality, stability and efficient delivery to the skin for a number of applications and indications expected to range from cosmeceutical through to pharmaceutical dermal and pain relief treatments.”
Futura’s flagship innovation is a phase III gel called MED3000 that uses DermaSys to treat erectile dysfunction.