- Hyalolex for Alzheimer’s and other cannabis-based drugs for pain, epilepsy, and more are raising the market valuation growth potential for IGC
- Phytocannabinoids target protein receptors in the brain, peripheral nervous system and other parts of the body, including the lungs, liver, and other organs
- Cannabidiol makes up as much as 40 percent of cannabis-plant extract and has more potential medical uses than THC
Cannabinoid receptors have been known in the medical community since 1988. India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE MKT: IGC) is the first company to develop revolutionary cannabis-based pharmaceuticals targeting Alzheimer’s. Based on this alone, the company’s market valuation growth potential is high, given the possibilities now recognized for these compounds. IGC has a deep pipeline of products, including recently announced therapies such as IGC-501, for arthritic and neuropathic pain; IGC-502 for canine seizures; and IGC-504 for cachexia, a syndrome often associated with debilitating diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and cancer.
The potential for growth is strong, as cannabis companies such as Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ: AVXL), AC Immune Ltd. (NASDAQ: ACIU) and others have seen market valuations in the hundreds of millions of dollars and even higher.
While there is no cure for Alzhimer’s, therapies, such as the one IGC is pursuing for Alzheimer’s, hold promise in addressing the disease. Phytocannabinoid treatments are also effective because of the protein receptors in the brain and other tissues of the body. There are several different types; one includes the G protein-coupled receptor family, activated by endocannabinoids the body synthesizes when under stress. These receptors play a role in pain modulation, appetite, mood, and even memory.
There are also CB1 receptors, which are thought to be expressed at the synapses in the brain. They have also been found in the peripheral nerves and in muscle, liver, and lung tissue, as well as in fat. Aside from being associated with pain regulation, these cannabinoid receptors have effects on emotion, sensory perception, memory, cognition, and movement. Some autonomous functions are affected as well. Found in the immune system, CB2 receptors have anti-inflammatory properties and other functions, being based in T cells and B cells. They have also been found in macrophages and hematopoietic cells.
Evidence suggests there are more types of cannabinoid receptors. The known types are activated naturally by endocannabinoids but can also be stimulated by compounds found in cannabis plants and by synthetic cannabinoids, which helped researchers identify the receptors in the first place.
Until recently, it was tetrahydrocannabinol that had the attention of mainstream media, known for its psychotropic effects. However, cannabidiol (CBD), which constitutes up to 40 percent of plant extracts, seems to have more medical applications. It’s widely believed to have anti-psychotic, anti-depressive, anxiety-reducing, and anti-convulsive effects. Therefore, CBD has the potential to be useful to the 50 million people around the world with refractory, or drug resistant, epilepsy; the 1.3 million individuals in the United States affected by cachexia every year; the 5.3 million people in the country with Alzheimer’s disease; and the millions who suffer from chronic pain.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.IGCInc.us
