A flavonoid from a rare Jamaican variety could treat pancreatic cancer

The U.S. federal government has approved a series of clinical trials to evaluate the potential of a cannabis flavonoid derived from a Jamaican cannabis strain "Rare," the Black Swan, on the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Research typically focuses on the therapeutic properties of cannabinoids such as CBD and THC. Last summer, a study published in the journal Frontiers in Oncology However, it reported that cannflavin B, a flavonoid found in cannabis, could help kill pancreatic cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, with a survival rate of 8%.

In this study, researchers discovered that cannflavin B can trigger the «suicide» of cancer cells—apoptosis—while enhancing the effectiveness of standard chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The company Flavocure Biotech Inc., which funded this research, will not, however, use natural cannabis to fight cancer, but rather the synthetic version of cannflavin B, to develop an anticancer drug known as Caflanone, or FBL-03G.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted orphan drug status to Caflanone this fall, allowing Flavocure to move forward with its next phase of clinical trials. In the United States, orphan drug designation is reserved for new drugs that can treat diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans per year.

«The search continues at the Harvard Medical School, »an institution recognized for developing some of the world's most effective drugs," said declared Clark Swanson, co-founder and executive vice president of Flavocure. «The studies supporting the development of new drugs (IND) are now essentially complete, and we are confident in the results and the highly anticipated clinical stage of our company’s drug development.»

Although the company is working to create a synthetic cannabis derivative, the initial discovery of this flavonoid The anti-cancer compound came from a unique strain of Jamaican ganja. The president of Flavocure, Dr. Henry Lowe, PhD, «discovered a rare strain of cannabis native to Jamaica. The strain was named «Black Swan» because of its flavonoid-rich profile.»

Chrysoseriol, a second flavonoid derived from this variety, shows promise for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In 2018, Flavocure received FDA approval to begin research, which has not yet been completed.

Clinical trials for pancreatic cancer are expected to begin in the spring of 2020. «For now, we plan to conduct a multicenter study on the East and West Coasts of the United States.»

Cannflavin B also has anti-inflammatory properties, 30 times greater than those of aspirin.

Certain terpenes, such as’Hexacannabitriol also has anti-cancer properties.