Cannabidiol (CBD) has attracted significant interest as a therapeutic molecule, including in the CNS and epilepsy space. However, conventional CBD presents challenges related to solubility, delivery, absorption, stability, and tissue exposure.
Trait Biosciences has developed pharma-grade, water-soluble single-molecule CBD derivatives (prodrug APIs), innovated to provide meaningful advantages compared with conventional CBD, including formulation, delivery, and potential efficacy.
Given the therapeutic opportunities in the CNS and epilepsy space, Trait’s technology offers several potential benefits:
Permeation
Trait APIs have demonstrated substantially greater skin, intestinal, and epithelial permeation compared with conventional CBD in ex vivo and preclinical models.
Greater permeation provides additional flexibility for drug development and delivery.
Systemic Presence and Stability
Trait CBD prodrugs convert to the active CBD form in the body and offer a significantly longer half-life compared with conventional CBD.
This longer systemic presence supports more sustained exposure to the active molecule.
Brain Exposure
In preclinical studies, Trait APIs have demonstrated significantly increased presence in brain tissue in the active form.
The prodrug was also detected in brain tissue, suggesting the potential for extended release and continued conversion to the active drug.
Liver Exposure
In preclinical studies, Trait APIs have demonstrated reduced exposure in liver tissue compared with conventional CBD.
This finding suggests the potential for reduced liver exposure and may have implications for drug metabolism and elimination. Further research is needed to understand the clinical significance of these findings.
Formulation
The water-solubility advantages of Trait APIs offer several drug development and delivery benefits, including:
- Homogeneous aqueous formulations
- High dosing options
- Broad routes of administration
These characteristics provide greater flexibility when developing CBD-based therapeutics for different applications and routes of administration.
Exploring New Possibilities for CBD Therapeutics
The combination of increased permeation, longer systemic presence, brain tissue exposure, differentiated liver exposure, and water-soluble formulation capabilities provides opportunities to further investigate Trait’s CBD prodrug APIs in CNS and epilepsy applications.
Trait believes these prodrug offerings have the potential to build on established therapeutic approaches to CBD and ultimately contribute to improved treatment options and quality of life for patients with epilepsy.
The findings described above are based on ex vivo and preclinical studies. Further research and clinical studies are required to determine the safety, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and potential therapeutic benefits of these APIs in patients.
To learn more about Trait’s CBD API technology and explore collaboration opportunities, contact info@traitbio.com.