Nextleaf Solutions Ltd (CSE:OILS) (OTCQB:OILFF) has won another patent.
In a statement Thursday, the company said the US Patent and Trademark Office granted it a second patent for the acetylation of cannabinoids. More specifically, the patent covers a process for acetylating cannabidiol (CBD), and subsequent refinement of CBO-O-Acetate.
Nextleaf said it owns a portfolio of 10-issued US patents for extraction, purification, and delivery of cannabinoids, along with a 100% success rate obtaining issued patents from its pending patent applications, compared to less than 50% for life science companies.
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"We expect the results of the 2020 US elections will have a transformational effect on the future of cannabis legalization in the United States," said CEO Paul Pedersen. "With the second largest patent portfolio of any cannabis company, Nextleaf has the type of robust intellectual property that draws attention from pharmaceutical companies anticipating the U.S. federal legalization of cannabinoids."
Nextleaf said its patented process to produce CBD-O-Acetate enables the standardization of a more potent analog of CBD, an alternative option to experience the unique medicinal benefits associated with targeted drug delivery. Prodrugs utilize various physical and chemical modifications to improve features of active drugs. Maintaining the integrity of the molecule and its ability to deliver drugs to precisely targeted areas in the body may increase efficacy for desired outcomes.
The company believes an orally consumable CBD metabolic prodrug produced under its patented process for acetylating cannabidiol will enhance the therapeutic potency of CBD.
Nextleaf was granted a US patent in February for the acetylation of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and subsequent refinement of THC-O-Acetate.
"With this second US patent for acetylation of cannabinoids, we are able to efficiently modify and potentially improve upon the medicinal properties of a natural product that has been in use for thousands of years," said Ryan Ko, chief technical officer.
Nextleaf said it has commenced a search for commercialization partners of its cannabinoid acetylation patents, with a specific focus on pharmaceutical companies seeking novel cannabinoid-derived products for clinical trials, and turnkey pharmaceutical production.
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