Innocan Pharma Corporation announced the publication of a peer-reviewed narrative review in Cureus journal examining the therapeutic potential of long-acting synthetic cannabidiol (CBD) for chronic pain management. The review, titled "Considering Long-Acting Synthetic Cannabidiol for Chronic Pain: A Narrative Review," was co-authored by leading pain specialists from Johns Hopkins University and NYU School of Medicine.
The publication comes as chronic pain affects over 24% of adults in the United States alone, placing significant burden on patients, healthcare systems, and economies. Current long-term treatment options remain inadequate, with NSAIDs posing cumulative toxicity risks and opioids presenting serious concerns including tolerance, dependency, and overdose risk. Globally, opioid misuse results in over 100,000 deaths annually.
LPT-CBD Platform Shows Promise in Preclinical Studies
Innocan's proprietary LPT-CBD platform represents an innovative injectable liposomal drug product designed for sustained release of synthetic CBD. According to the company, animal studies have demonstrated that LPT-CBD produces steady CBD plasma levels for up to four weeks, delivers prolonged pain relief, and is well tolerated.
The platform aligns with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's emphasis on novel, non-addictive pain therapies through its "Guidance for Industry: Non-Opioid Analgesic Development Programs." Innocan has initiated regulatory submissions to advance LPT-CBD into human clinical trials, marking what the company describes as a pivotal step toward realizing a first-in-class, non-opioid analgesic therapy.
Expert Perspectives on CBD's Therapeutic Potential
Dr. Paul J. Christo, Associate Professor and Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-author of the review, emphasized the clinical significance of the research. "This publication underscores the urgent need for innovative, non-opioid analgesics that offer long-lasting efficacy," Christo stated. "Liposomal synthetic CBD could offer a safe and scalable solution for a variety of painful conditions."
Dr. Eugene Vortsman, Clinical Director of Addiction Medicine and Disease Management at Northwell Health and co-author of the article, highlighted the addiction crisis context. "Given the current addiction crisis, there is an immediate need to replace opioids with safer, effective alternatives," Vortsman noted. "Long-acting synthetic CBD has real potential to shift the paradigm."
Company Commitment to Clinical Development
Iris Bincovich, Chief Executive Officer of Innocan, expressed enthusiasm about the publication's implications for the company's development program. "We are thrilled by this breakthrough publication. Innocan is fully committed to advancing LPT-CBD toward clinical development, with the goal of delivering an innovative and safe non-opioid analgesic solution for chronic pain management," Bincovich stated.
The review highlights that synthetic CBD administered through extended-release formulations could offer a well-tolerated, non-opioid analgesic alternative with the potential to significantly reduce reliance on addictive opioids. This approach addresses a critical unmet medical need in chronic pain management, where safer and more effective long-term treatment options are desperately needed.
