Sandoz Canada today announced that it has finalized its collaboration agreement with Tilray, a Health Canada licensed producer of medical cannabis, allowing Sandoz Canada to become the first Canadian pharmaceutical company to enter the medical cannabis field. The alliance will support the rising interest in medical cannabis1 by providing patients with medical treatment options of stringent manufacturing standards that are adapted to their medical conditions, advocating for broader access to products, and increasing product innovation, research and education.

Eight Sandoz and Tilray co-branded non-combustible medical cannabis products are currently available from Tilray through Health Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), including cannabis capsules and ingestible oils. Sandoz will not work in the soon-to-be legalized recreational combustible cannabis area.

“As a leading patient-focused company, Sandoz Canada is committed to discovering new ways to improve and extend the lives of Canadians by increasing access to life enhancing medications, said Michel Robidoux, President and General Manager, Sandoz Canada. “As such, we have taken this innovative approach and significant step forward to be the first Canadian pharmaceutical company to support access to medical cannabis for patients and their physicians who have determined that medical cannabis is an effective option for their health conditions.”

Medical Cannabis – Addressing The Unmet Need 

As at December 2017, Health Canada estimated1 that there were 269,502 active client registrations with licensed producers, with the highest markets in Ontario (110,338) and Alberta (104,272). In addition, Health Canada also estimated that a total of 11,058 medical practitioners have provided a medical document for clients who registered with a licensed producer.

The TOPS study from Tilray suggests that cannabis may, under some circumstances, reduce opioid use in patients with chronic pain and may play a harm-reduction role in the ongoing opioid dependence and overdose crisis.2

 “The success that healthcare experts and patients are seeing with the use of medical cannabis has led them to view it as an effective treatment option for various medical conditions,” said Dr. Blake Pearson, a practicing Ontario physician specializing in cannabinoid medicine and the Chief Medical Advisor for Greenly Health. “As medical cannabis becomes more accepted as an alternative to other pharmaceutical-based prescription treatments, patients will look for medical cannabis products of the highest quality and in a variety of doses to be more readily available in such locations as pharmacies and hospitals that will allow greater access to products and healthcare professional counsel.”

 “Both Sandoz and Tilray recognize that there continues to be an unmet need in access to, and dosing of, medical cannabis products,” said Mr. Robidoux. “Tilray is a leader in medical cannabis cultivation, distribution and research that shares the same commitment as Sandoz Canada to advancing options for patients by offering products of the highest quality and investing in innovation. Our alliance with Tilray represents another major milestone in further legitimizing medical cannabis as a mainstream medicine and trusted treatment option, and supporting patients to confidently access quality treatments for their unmet medical needs.”