Novartis enters the field of therapeutic cannabis

The Canadian subsidiary of Novartis, Sandoz Canada, the 4th largest pharmaceutical company in the world, has just signed a partnership agreement with Tilray, canadian medical cannabis producer to develop and distribute non-combustible cannabis-based products.

This is the first commercial agreement between a pharmaceutical company and a Canadian cannabis producer.

The agreement is based on two main points:

• Tilray will leverage Sandoz's expertise and network of pharmacists and physicians to distribute its products and educate healthcare professionals. Sandoz could eventually become the exclusive distributor of Tilray's medical products.
• Sandoz and Tilray to develop new products: capsules, edibles, sprays...

For Brendan Kennedy, CEO of Tilray, «this agreement is an important step on the long road to legitimizing medical cannabis as a conventional medicine. Tilray is delighted to be, we believe, the first federally licensed medical cannabis producer to enter into a strategic alliance with a pharmaceutical company to improve the availability and quality of medical cannabis products for Canadian patients in need.».

The Medical cannabis has been legal in Canada since 2013, and is already the basis of a multi-billion dollar industry. 235,000 patients are registered, and some 10,400 healthcare professionals can issue prescriptions for medical cannabis.

For the moment, there are no pharmacies selling cannabis. Medical cannabis is delivered by the local post office. pharmacies that have signed an agreement with the Canadian government to distribute cannabis.

Some provinces tolerate cannabis dispensaries, which will have some difficulty continuing after cannabis is legalized next summer, in Quebec, for example which will prohibit private companies from distributing cannabis.

As for the question of when Big Pharma will really take an interest in cannabis, it's done!