Stevia Corp. Files Provisional Patent With The United States Patent And Trademark Office For A Non-Invasive And Simple To Use Delivery System For Cannabinoids

INDIANAPOLIS, IN--(Marketwired - March 06, 2015) -

Stevia Corp. (OTCQB: STEV) (“Stevia Corp” or the “Company”), an international farm management company and healthcare company focused on the commercial development of products that support a healthy lifestyle, including stevia and hemp and their compounds is pleased to announce the filing of a provisional patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a non-invasive, simple to use delivery system for cannabinoids which allows the patient the ability to titrate the desired dose-to-effect for an existing medical condition.

Improving drug delivery can be accomplished by developing new formulations or devices or by a combination of devices with existing drugs. Over the past few decades, multi-billion dollar companies have been built by discovering novel and effective ways to deliver existing compounds in which the efficacy has already been proven. Alza is a company that pioneered the field of drug delivery until it was bought by Johnson and Johnson for more than $10 billion in 2001. Other examples include Biovail Corporation which was Canada’s largest pharmaceutical company based on their drug delivery technologies.

Current expectations are that demand for cannabinoids derived from the cannabis plant and from synthetic or manufactured means will continue to increase for medical use as research continues to support their efficacy for many medical conditions. Yet, despite the tremendous advances in cannabinoid research, physicians are still presented with many of the same delivery mechanisms that have been available for the past 30 years. Oral, respiratory, intravenous and vaporizing technology are all viable methods but they do not place the user in a position that they can truly control the dose to effect to as small of a dose as a milligram with a reusable device.

To better demonstrate the challenge faced by prescribing physicians, the variation in patient tolerance to medications and the rate in which drugs are metabolized by a person’s liver causes the outcome experienced by patients for a given dosage to vary widely and be specific to each individual patient. In the same way that 2 similar sized people of the same age, fitness level and sex may be affected by the same amount of alcohol differently, the same is true for oral dosing of analgesics and sedatives and cannabinoids. Finding the right dosage to arrive at successful therapeutic outcomes is often achieved through trial while avoiding error; it is not an exact science. And finding the right dosage for an injection is even considered more challenging than oral administration.

There is an increasing amount of anecdotal data that demonstrates the efficacy of CBD and other cannabinoids for many different medical conditions. Given the increasing amount of research that demonstrates that even high levels of cannabinoids are remarkably safe, there may be no better class of compounds to place the responsibility of achieving the right dose to effect in the hands of the patient than cannabinoids.

The delivery system is designed to allow the patient the ability to use the system for the desired benefit whether indoors or outdoors. Most of the current delivery systems including e-cigarettes and vaporizers are restricted for indoor use in the work place and most federal and state office buildings restrict the use of both e-cigarettes and vaporizers. The system is also designed in a way which allows a user the ability to place it in their pocket. It is designed as a one time or multi-use device. It is also designed in a way that the pre-manufactured dose can be calibrated as low as 1 milligram or even lower if there is a need to do so. The system requires no training and is non-invasive. It’s designed in a way that the majority of all patients should easily be able to understand how to calculate the dose and to understand how to follow a prescribed dosing protocol.

The provisional patent includes 16 claims and includes other classes of drugs including sedatives, analgesics and anesthetics. The initial planning began in the 3rd quarter of 2014 and the provisional patent was filed with the USPTO on March 5, 2015.

George Blankenbaker, President of Stevia Corp, commented, “This is our fifth provisional patent filing in 2015 focused on cannabinoids and we have designed the delivery system to be the system of choice for medical marijuana patients and for people needing to ingest CBD. It is uniquely different than the current technologies used for vaporizers and e-cigarettes.”

Mr. Blankenbaker continued, “There are hundreds of thousands of patients that are using cannabinoids including THC with remarkable therapeutic outcomes. Many of the existing delivery mechanisms allow the patient to reach the desired effect but they don’t allow the patient to accurately titrate the dose. We have designed this system in a way to provide the patient the ability to titrate the dose and understand what works best.”

Mr. Blankenbaker concluded, “We have also included many other existing generic drugs as part of our claims incorporating the delivery technology. We believe we will be able to quickly develop a prototype of this delivery system and potentially generate licensing opportunities.”

About Stevia Corp. (OTCQB: STEV)
Stevia Corp. is a farm management company and healthcare company focused on developing highly nutritional, high value products through proprietary plant breeding, excellent agricultural methodologies and innovative post-harvest techniques. Stevia Corp invests in R&D and IP acquisition and manages its own propagation, nursery and plantations as well as provides services to contract growers and other industry growers. Stevia Corp was founded on the principal of implementing socially responsible, sustainable, quality agribusiness solutions to maximize the long-term efficient production of nutritional crops. For additional information please visit: www.steviacorp.us.

About the Hemp Industry Sector
Hemp is a crop that can be grown for food and non-food purposes. As a result of its numerous nutritional benefits, many new food products containing hemp seed and its oil are finding their way into the marketplace, including protein mixes, pasta, tortilla chips, salad dressings, snack products and frozen desserts. Non-dairy hemp “milk” beverages, which provide significant amounts of omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) and protein, are also available. Hemp oil is also used in nutraceuticals and health care products as well as industrial applications.

As an industrial fiber source, hemp is undergoing rapid growth as a natural fiber in everything from clothing and textiles to automotive composites. The fiber is also gaining popularity as a building material such as insulation.

The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) estimated that the 2013 retail sales value of hemp food and body care products in the United States was $184 million. When clothing, paper, auto parts, building materials and various other products are included, the HIA estimates that the total retail value of hemp products sold in the US in 2013 to be at least $581 million and included more than 50,000 products.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, demand for cannabinoids for medical use, development of delivery system to administer cannabinoids, annual retail value of hemp products sold in the U.S., growth of industrial hemp product industry, product development and business strategy. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects and development stage companies. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.