AXIM Biotech to Get U.S. Patent Covering All Cannabinoids in Its Chewing Gums

AXIM Biotechnologies announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be issuing a patent covering all cannabinoids — both natural and synthetic —  used in a chewing gum delivery system that may be included in its cannabinoid-containing, controlled-release chewing gum products. The USPTO has given the company a Notice of Allowance for the upcoming patent (No. 9,433,601) covering and protecting its intellectual property.

When issued, the new patent will extend the company’s existing patent (No. 9,023,322) for chewing gum as a delivery method for cannabidiol (CBD), a known cannabinoid. The new patent includes tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

“This new patent is paramount for our company as it provides us with the intellectual property protection to include any of the at least 85 different cannabinoid compounds found in the cannabis plant, including CBD and THC [tetrahydrocannabinol], into our multiple cannabinoid-containing controlled-release chewing gum products,” George E. Anastassov, MD, chief executive officer of AXIM Biotech, said in a press release.

“Acquiring this new patent …  gives us exclusive protection on the cannabis pharma and nutraceutical market, which means that no other entities can attempt to introduce a rival product with the same delivery system made with any cannabinoids,”Anastassov said.

The company has  two distinct products using chewing gum as a delivery method for cannabinoids. The first is the CBD-only CanChew Gum, a patented chewing gum containing naturally occurring CBD from the hemp plant. According to the release, CanChew is doctor recommended with no need for prescription, and is available in all U.S. states. It is non-habit forming and the natural hemp oil is rich in Omega 3s. It contains no artificial sweeteners or preservatives.

The second, still in testing phases, is  MedChew Rx, a chewing gum combination of CBD and THC that’s being developed to address pain and muscle spasticity in MS patients.

A clinical trial assessing MedChew Rx in MS patients with MS is expected to begin soon at the Free University of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, in collaboration with the University of Plymouth, U.K., and an unnamed academic center in the United States, AXIM recently announced. This clinical trial should last 12 months, “prior to FDA/EMA registration,” a reference to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and its European counterpart, the European Medicines Agency.

Other products in development include:

• CanChew Plus, the first CBD hemp oil chewing gum that aims to reduce irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms in patients. Studies are currently underway at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, using 10 mg or 30 mg of CBD to determine the concentration of CBD in the blood after chewing one CanChew Plus Gum for 30 minutes. The company plans to use this study’s findings to being a Phase 2 trial in patients.

•  AX-1602, a topical ointment formulation that includes the “stem cell cannabinoid” cannabigerol (CBG) and other cannabinoids being developed for the treatment for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

MedChewRX is on track to be presented for regulatory approval in both the European Union and the U.S., the company announced in the release. In addition to chewing gum, the company offers products in oral hygiene, cosmetics, and as lozenges.