MGC Pharma has told the ASX its 2021 clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of treatments for COVID-19, childhood epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease continue to make good progress.

The company has received formal approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health for a Phase III, 28-day, controlled clinical study into Cimetra as a treatment for more than 250 hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

MGC is also conducting a Phase IIb randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial into the safety and efficacy of its Cannepil product as an add-on treatment for children and adolescents with refractory or treatment-resistant epilepsy. More than 100 patients will be recruited for the Israel-based trial launching in July this year.

MGC has already initiated a driving safety study of Cannepil in Australia, involving more than 30 healthy volunteers, which aims to provide supportive data to the regulatory authorities.

Meanwhile, a Phase II clinical trial at the University of Notre Dame in Perth, Western Australia has been designed to evaluate the potential behavioural benefits of Cognicann on patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

The trial will enrol 50 patients and is expected to last until Q4 2021. Initial recruitment began in January 2020 but was temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions. Recruitment has recommenced and 21 patients have been enrolled in the trial over the last three months.

Interim results from all three trials are expected to be released later this year.

MGC Pharma co-founder and managing director Roby Zomer said: “All of our clinical trials are progressing well despite the various hurdles we are facing due to the current global situation.

“These trials ensure MGC Pharma and our product offering realise their full medical and commercial potential as we focus on creating new and effective treatments for conditions and diseases that currently have no treatment options.”

Prior to launching Cannabiz, Martin was co-founder and CEO of Asia-Pac’s leading B2B media and marketing information brand Mumbrella, overseeing its sale to Diversified Communications in 2017. A journalist...

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