SILVER SPRING, Md., Feb. 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX), an international biotechnology and clinical stage provider of natural products and cell and gene therapy solutions for the treatment of human diseases, announced today its subsidiary, Medical Marijuana Sciences, Inc., will develop treatments for human diseases by employing cannabinoids from marijuana (Cannabis sativa).
The use of Cannabis for medicinal purposes dates back more than 3,000 years. It was introduced into Western medicine in the 1840s. Its analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, and antispasmodic effects formed the original basis for its use. The components of marijuana that have shown medical activity are known as "cannabinoids", approximately 70 cannabinoids of which have been found in Cannabis sativa.
Cannabinoids can be classified into three groups: (1) naturally-occurring cannabinoids – examples are Delta9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD); (2) endocannabinoids – these are synthesized "on demand" within the body by particular types of cells - examples include anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG); (3) synthetic cannabinoids – an example is nabilone, which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of cancer-related side effects.
Since the 1970s, cannabinoids have been known to alleviate pain, nausea, and vomiting. These compounds have been particularly effective against cancer-related pain and in enhancing the appetites of cancer patients which are typically diminished. The latter discovery has led to finding that cannabinoids can help relieve cancer-related cachexia, a "wasting" syndrome composed of weight loss, muscle atrophy, fatigue, weakness, and loss of appetite.
"Cannabinoids have been investigated both in vivo and in vitro for many years targeting a wide array of diseases and disorders, thus amassing a large portfolio of promising research data," said Dr. Gerald Crabtree, Chief Operating Officer of Nuvilex. "Naturally-occurring cannabinoids such as THC and CBD are excellent cornerstones upon which our subsidiary, Medical Marijuana Sciences, Inc. can build disease treatments. There have been many reports in scientific journals and other literature that contribute to our understanding of how these marijuana constituents work, as well as reports of their activity against various diseases in preclinical test systems. We intend to use our expertise to establish ourselves as a leading contributor to the growing database of information demonstrating the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids in a clinical setting."
About Nuvilex
Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX) has been a provider of all-natural products for many years. The company has been expanded to increase its natural product-based footprint through medical marijuana studies and is becoming an international biotechnology provider of live, therapeutically valuable, encapsulated cells and services for research and medicine. New developments by our company and subsidiaries will be substantial as we have been working on many fronts to move us forward. Our company's offerings will ultimately include cancer, diabetes and other treatments using the Company's natural product knowledge, product base, cell and gene therapy expertise, and live-cell encapsulation technology in addition to other new products currently under development.
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