Vitality Biopharma Advances Cannabosides For Treatment Of Narcotic Bowel Syndrome
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - November 16, 2016) - Vitality Biopharma, Inc. (OTCQB: VBIO) ("Vitality" or the "Company"), a corporation dedicated to the development of cannabinoid prodrug pharmaceuticals, and to unlocking the power of cannabinoids for the treatment of serious neurological and inflammatory disorders, today announced that it is advancing its cannabosides pharmaceuticals for treatment of narcotic bowel syndrome, a severe form of opiate-induced abdominal pain.
Every day more than 650,000 opioid prescriptions are dispensed by US pharmacies, resulting in over 200 million opioid prescriptions dispensed annually. Studies have reported that up to 81% of patients treated with opiates have functional bowel disorders, but these common symptoms may lead to underdiagnosis of opiate-induced severe abdominal pain. More than half (58%) of opiate users have reported chronic abdominal pain in independently-conducted clinical studies, and narcotic bowel syndrome is the most severe form of this disorder, where abdominal pain paradoxically increases despite continued administration of narcotics to treat the pain. When undiagnosed, patients or physicians continue to escalate dosages, which temporarily relieves pain, but leads to addiction and also worsens the abdominal pain -- a vicious cycle. Narcotic bowel syndrome has dire consequences for opiate users, as their quality-of-life has been reported to be worse than patients with quadriplegia.
The clinical use of cannabinoids for resolving pain and inflammation is well established, including in large (n=313) independently-conducted clinical studies of inflammatory bowel disease, where 84% of patients reported an improvement in abdominal pain. Vitality's proprietary cannabosides enable the selective delivery of cannabinoids to the intestinal tract, enabling large concentrations of THC and CBD (delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, respectively) to be delivered without any resulting psychoactivity.
"In the midst of an opiate epidemic, with no simple solution in sight, we're developing a truly differentiated cannabinoid pharmaceutical product," said Robert Brooke, Chief Executive Officer of Vitality Biopharma. "We are working with regulators and with collaborating physicians in order to expedite the availability of these products, and to also help raise awareness for opiate users afflicted with this condition."
About Vitality Biopharma (OTCQB: VBIO)
Vitality Biopharma is dedicated to unlocking the power of cannabinoids for the treatment of serious neurological and inflammatory disorders. For more information, visit: www.vitality.bio. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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