Gb Sciences Shares Potential Cannabinoid-Based COVID-19 Treatment as Omicron Variant Surges Worldwide

Gb Sciences, a plant-based research and biopharma technology company, recently revealed positive results from a study of its cannabinoid-containing mixtures as a potential treatment for cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which is one of the most dangerous complications from a COVID-19 infection (1). The arrival of the Omicron variant in multiple countries is pushing the Gb Sciences team to move quickly through the development stages for this novel CRS therapy.

"COVID variants are not going away anytime soon, and they will continue to cause health complications, particularly in unvaccinated individuals and older populations," said Dr. Andrea Small-Howard, President and Chief Science Officer of Gb Sciences (1). "The need for effective treatments is growing. We are excited about the progress we have been making with our potential CRS treatment, which in essence can reset the body's immune system. This strategy works regardless of the variant because it provides relief by targeting our human immune response to a virus, but it's not tied to the virus itself."

Through their AI-driven drug discovery platform (2), Gb Sciences created cannabinoid-containing complex mixtures (CCCM) designed to reduce the levels of specific cytokines and pro-inflammatory processes triggered by the COVID-19 virus, while preserving the immune functions and cytokines needed to fight the disease.

Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) researchers completed the study in August 2021 (3). Researchers discovered that specific formulations of the CCCMs decreased cytokine release syndrome biomarkers. Mixtures of multiple synthetic molecules from cannabinoid plants performed better than single molecules. The ratios of those molecules also influenced results, Gb Sciences noted.

Preclinical data determined CCCMs may be effective anti-inflammatory therapies for CRS and other conditions such as macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which are both leading causes of death in COVID-19 patients.

References

1. https://gbsciences.newswire.com/news/gb-sciences-targets-covid-19-treatment-as-omicron-variant-arrives-21571652
2. https://gbsciences.newswire.com/news/gb-sciences-using-ai-technology-in-plant-based-drug-discovery-research-21418124
3. https://gbsciences.newswire.com/news/gb-sciences-achieves-positive-proof-of-concept-results-for-their-21493350