Boiron is an anomaly in this list of cannabis companies: it's a century-old pharmaceutical group, the undisputed world leader in homeopathy, which has landed in medical cannabis through a strategic detour forced by French health policy.
Twin brothers Jean and Henri Boiron graduated in pharmacy in France in the 1930s. In June 1932, they set up the Laboratoire Central Homéopathique de France in Paris, which became Laboratoires Boiron in 1967, after several mergers of structures in Lyon and Paris. The company gradually established itself as the world's leading manufacturer of homeopathic medicines.
Boiron was listed on the Lyon stock exchange in 1987, and remains 69% owned by the Boiron family. With 23 subsidiaries and a presence in 50 countries, the group generates almost half of its sales.
internationally. Its flagship product, Oscillococcinum, is sold in dozens of countries.
The decision by the French social security system to completely delist homeopathy, effective January 1, 2021, is an existential shock for Boiron. Loss of 41% in sales in the first quarter of 2021, closure of 13 sites, loss of over 500 jobs.
Against this backdrop of crisis and forced diversification, in January 2021 Boiron announced its selection by the ANSM to take part in medical cannabis trials in France, in partnership with British Emmac Life Sciences (acquired by Curaleaf). Two drugs were selected: Adven 20/1 and Adven 10/10, prescribed to patients in the five indications covered by the trial (neuropathic pain, epilepsy, oncology, multiple sclerosis, palliative care).
Boiron claims historical legitimacy: the company has long had expertise in herbal medicines, and Cannabis sativa and indica strains have long been part of its homeopathic nomenclature.
In parallel with medical experimentation, Boiron launches CBD by Boiron, a range of wellness products based on naturally-occurring Colombian CBD isolate, available in pharmacies: gels, creams and oils for muscle relaxation and daily well-being. The brand capitalizes on the trust of the pharmacy network where Boiron has been distributed for decades.
If medical cannabis were to be reimbursed on a large scale in France, Boiron would be ideally positioned thanks to its relationships with pharmacists and its national distribution capacity.
The French Boiron group has announced the signature of a strategic partnership with Panaxia Malta, a company specializing in the research and development of...
In a manifesto carried by lobbying agency Nile, the «CannabiSanté» coalition mobilizes and calls for structured, secure and long-term access to medical cannabis...
French laboratory Boiron, known for its homeopathic granules, is now offering CBD-based cosmetics. «These treatments have been designed for the comfort...
After 4 years of discussions around the experimentation of therapeutic cannabis in France, and its launch almost 2 years ago, the Direction Générale de...
From March onwards, 3,000 French patients will be able to be treated with cannabis, as part of the French therapeutic cannabis experiment, designed to...
