Cannabis is made up of over 120 known compounds, including terpenes, flavonoids, and the part that elicits the “high” effects: THC. The majority are known as cannabinoids, but amazingly, researchers still do not know what every compound does — but there has been a major advancement.
Offering Multiple Therapeutic Benefits
One research innovator, Juva Life, just made a breakthrough discovery in finding two non-cannabinoid molecules inside the cannabis plant, which they have coined JUVA-019 and JUVA-041 — and they hold major clinically observed potential to inhibit inflammation in the human body. By “taking the blinders off” to get to the bottom of known human diseases and using established pharmaceutical discovery methods to study the root cause of inflammation, Juva Life’s world-renowned researchers have made advancements that could have widespread worldwide health implications for the better.
“Most of the industry is researching THC, CBD, terpenes, or flavonoids, or the combination of them to get a desired effect,” Doug Chloupek, CEO and founder of Juva Life, said. “But these small molecules are very similar to a tylenol — they are stable and do not need other molecules to have activity. They are both different in their respect and regulate different pathways in the body at different volumes.”
The Next Steps Along the Path of Pharmaceutical Development
Researchers at Juva have conducted multiple studies, including a comparative study exploring multiple modes of action for JUVA-019. The goal of the study was to evaluate inhibition of IL1-beta and IFNg biomarkers, among others when introduced to JUVA-019 as a stand-alone molecule, which created a baseline. Additional studies now confirm that JUVA-019 does not require cannabinoids to elicit potent anti-inflammatory effects.
As with JUVA-019, JUVA-041 inhibits key cytokines proven to be of clinical relevance in inflammation, but does so with differential selectivity and increased potency. Both molecules have patents pending, signifying the next step along the path of pharmaceutical development for these compounds to develop safe and effective therapeutics. Juve Life intends to develop products through preclinical in vivo validation studies, and partner with leading pharmaceutical and consumer companies seeking anti-inflammatory bioactives for their product pipelines, according to a press release.
“This is the holy grail — the pharmaceutical industry has yet to ever find a stable smaller molecule that, without toxicity, regulates inflammation,” Chloupek said. “This is truly the holy grail out of the whole global market, and I have two of them. I think they will become lead drugs for more than one pharmaceutical giant.”