Hebrew University of Jerusalem and TechforCann Europe Accelerator Collaborate to Promote Medical Cannabis Research

Yissum, the Technology Transfer Company at Hebrew University of Jerusalem as well as the university's Multidisciplinary Center for Cannabinoid Research (MCCR) recently announced a new partnership with TechforCann Europe Accelerator to strengthen the medical cannabis industry in Europe (1).

TechforCann Europe is reported to be the first accelerator program to focus on medical cannabis technologies. According to their website (2), the goal of the program is to identify and nurture early-stage IP-based companies with potential for exit and IPO. The government of Malta has reportedly funded the accelerator with 2.5 million Euros to support up to 20 winning startups over 18 months. The hybrid acceleration program focuses on entrepreneurs who are solving challenges across the supply chain, with a focus on healthcare and biotech, digital health, precision agriculture, and new product technologies. As a result of the program, participants reach milestones faster, with less error and expense thereby increasing their valuation and probability of commercial success (2).

According to the press release (1), Hebrew University MCCR-affiliated researchers will act as advisory board members, mentors, and potential recruitment candidates for the startups that are accepted from around the world into the TechforCann Europe accelerator program. The Hebrew University Medical Cannabis online curriculum will also be available to international audiences through the accelerator platform. TechforCann Europe will have access to a pipeline of innovative research projects that will benefit from the acceleration program. In addition, the parties will collaborate for licensing or co-development of new products. 

“Partnering with such important and world-breaking institutions such as Yissum and the MCCR validates our goal of supporting early-stage IP based startups from around the world who are solving challenges across the medical cannabis supply chain,” said Lilac Mandeles, CEO of TechforCann Europe Accelerator. “We are excited to nurture and promote top-tier research that is currently being conducted, as well as offer our startups access to world-leading clinicians and researchers and cut the time to market for these remarkable innovations.”

MCCR is the biggest cannabis research center in Israel, and one of the few centers in the world, conducting breakthrough research on cannabinoids, endocannabinoids, and medical Cannabis. MCCR focuses on the following areas: cancer, pain, inflammation and stress management, immunity, metabolism, drug delivery and nanotechnology, pharmaceutical chemistry, neuroscience, and plant science and genetics.

“One of our major objectives at MCCR is to foster collaborations between our own teams and other groups around the globe who are conducting medical cannabis research,” said Professor Yossi Tam, Director of the MCCR, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, and Head of the Obesity & Metabolism Laboratory at Hebrew University. “One of our priorities is a cannabis-based synthetic API which may change people’s lives. For example, we have recently completed pre-clinical work with a synthetic derivative of cannabinoid-acid, demonstrating its efficacy in treating obesity, and we have a lot more research in the pipeline."

For more information on this collaboration, please visit the TechforCannEurope website.

Reference

1. https://techforcanneurope.com/hebrew-university-and-techforcann-europe-accelerator-collaborate-to-promote-medical-cannabis-research/
2. https://techforcanneurope.com/