DOYLESTOWN, Pa., May 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kannalife, Inc. (OTC:KLFE), Kannalife (“Kannalife” or “the Company”), a biopharmaceutical company leading innovation in research, development and discovery of natural and novel biomimetic cannabinoid therapeutic agents, announces today the publication of its research findings around Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) in the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience.
The paper, titled “Knockdown siRNA Targeting the Mitochondrial Sodium-Calcium Exchanger-1 Inhibits the Protective Effects of Two Cannabinoids Against Acute Paclitaxel Toxicity,” compares cannabidiol (CBD) and the Company’s proprietary CBD-like molecule, KLS-13019, and its effects on the mitochondrial sodium-calcium exchanger-1. The paper details the protective action of both molecules against this exchanger, known to increase calcium levels in patients taking the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is defined as a progressive, enduring and often irreversible condition featuring pain, numbness, tingling and sensitivity to cold in the hands and feet (sometimes progressing to the arms and legs) that afflicts between 30-40 percent of patients undergoing chemotherapy.
“There is an unmet medical need in neuropathic pain overall,” states Douglas Brenneman, PhD and scientist at Kannalife. “In this particular case, it was not a classic neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. It is a neurological problem associated with a drug. There’s a huge need for symptomatic relief for CIPN specifically because so many people are affected but we’re looking for ways to treat a neurological problem.”
“We believe our research and development efforts will continue to push the envelope in advancing scientific discovery in the field of cannabinoid therapeutics,” states Thoma Kikis, CCO of Kannalife. “We are extremely fortunate to have a great team of scientists working together and leading the effort to bring forth a new solution in the treatment of CIPN.”
The Company worked on this research under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse it received in 2017. The grant allows for research into the development of KLS-13019 for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and drug dependence. According to the grant, the Company is researching significant advancements in identifying the specific mechanisms that induce CIPN, application of that knowledge to design novel treatment strategies for neuropathic pain, and applying those treatment strategies to reduce or replace prescription opioid use and decrease prescription opioid abuse. Clinical trials for KLS-13019 as a therapeutic for CIPN is targeted to begin in Q2 2020.
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About Kannalife Inc.
Kannalife Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company leading innovation in research, development, and discovery of natural and novel biomimetic cannabinoid therapeutic agents. The Company is focused on the development of proprietary cannabidiol (CBD) and CBD-like molecules for patients suffering from unmet medical needs of neurodegenerative disorders - including chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a chronic neuropathy caused by toxic chemotherapeutic agents; hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a neurotoxic brain-liver disorder caused by excessive concentrations of ammonia and ethanol in the brain; mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), a disorder associated with single and repetitive impact injuries; and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) a disease associated with highly repetitive impact injuries in professional and amateur sports.
The Company's family of proprietary molecules focuses on treating oxidative stress-related diseases such as HE, chronic pain from neuropathies like CIPN, and neurodegenerative diseases like CTE. Kannalife conducts its research and development efforts at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County in Doylestown, PA.
For more information about Kannalife, Inc., visit www.kannalife.com and visit the Company’s Twitter page at @Kannalife.
FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER AND DISCLOSURES
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements, by definition, involve risks and uncertainties. The statements in this press release have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Kannalife does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act.
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