Frankfurt, March, 13th, 2001

During the 12th International Pain Congress in Frankfurt THC Pharm in cooperation with the Tuttlingen based company Vapormed, presented an inhaler for the consumption of Dronabinol. Dronabinol is the active ingredient of the Cannabis plant used by pharmacists to produce capsules or oily drops in order to treat severe cases of pain and spasticity. The development of the inhaler “VOLCANO” by Vapormed ensures an optimized consumption of the substance which is originally derived from hemp fibres.

After an evaluation of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration, USA) the addiction potential of Dronabinol is lower than previously thought. Last year it has been downgraded into the same class as Codein, spurring renewed interest in its therapeutic value.

The inhalation of Dronabinol offers several advantages when compared to oral consumption: the effect reducing pain and cramps appears faster because the drug does not need to pass the gastrointestinal tract to reach the blood circulation. Thereby dosages in some cases can be reduced significantly resulting in cost reductions and bringing down the price of this therapy to approximately one tenth of existing similar drugs on the market. Another benefit is that a faster onset of the therapeutic effects enables doctors to maintain constant levels of Dronabinol in the blood more easily. This new application form will surely be welcomed especially by patients suffering from diseases associated with nausea or vomiting.

The new application form for Dronabinol gives hope to HIV and cancer patients as well as patients suffering from multiple sclerosis and Tourette-syndrome and other neurological disorders, and may lead to a more rational debate about the therapeutic benefit of cannabinoids in medicine.

For more information please contact:

Holger Rönitz
General Manager
THC Pharm GmbH
Offenbacher Landstrasse 368 a
D- 60599 Frankfurt

Phone: +49 69 63 80 99 17
Fax: +49 69 63 80 99 24
Mail: info@thc-pharm.de