Tilray’s GMP-grade medical cannabis products will now be available in the Czech Republic, extending their market penetration to four European Union countries.
Tilray, a global pioneer in medical cannabis research, production, and distribution, has become the first North American company to import dried medical cannabis products into the Czech Republic for nationwide distribution.
“As we work to increase medical cannabis access in the European Union (EU) and around the world, Tilray is proud to be the first supplier offering dried medical cannabis products to Czech patients in need,” said Chief Executive Officer Brendan Kennedy.
Medical cannabis was legalized in the Czech Republic back in 2013, and since then there has been no legal way for patients to obtain their medicine other than to grow their own.
Upon completion of requisite laboratory testing, two Tilray products will be available to qualified patients through pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics. Tilray Whole Flower THC 10 : CBD 10 contains a balanced ratio of active cannabinoid compounds tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Tilray Milled Cannabis THC 16 is a THC-dominant product pre-milled to ease compounding. Both products are produced in accordance with the European Medicines Agency’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines, the most rigorous standard manufacturers of medical products must meet.
Tilray’s Czech importer is Annabis s.r.o., a producer of cannabis-derived dermatology products and food supplements. Czech pharmacies can order Tilray products via Phoenix LV, a.s., which is providing nationwide logistics services for Tilray products.
Czech regulations currently allow for dried cannabis products alone, but the nation’s recent general elections put three critical issues back on the agenda: allowing for alternative cannabinoid dosage forms, scaling back cumbersome prescribing rules and initiating health insurer reimbursement.
In October, Tilray became the first supplier of full-spectrum medical cannabis extracts in Germany. Tilray’s oral product formulations are currently available in Croatia and Cyprus, and a wide variety of its products are also available in North America, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Tilray is investing aggressively to expand its operations in the EU in response to considerable unmet need for high-quality medical cannabis. Beginning in early 2018, Tilray will be able to serve its European patient population from a centralized EU Campus located in Cantanhede, Portugal. The €20 million EU Campus will cultivate, process, package, and distribute GMP-grade medical cannabis products to qualified patients, pharmacies, and researchers throughout the European common market. As a part of BIOCANT research park, the EU Campus also will serve as a hub supporting research and development efforts across Europe.
Tilray is committed to advancing scientific knowledge of medical cannabis through collaborations with leading researchers worldwide. In Canada, Tilray supplies trials at Toronto SickKids Hospital (pediatric epilepsy), the University of British Columbia (post-traumatic stress disorder), and McGill University Health Centre (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). In Australia, Tilray has partnered with the University of Sydney and New South Wales Government to study medical cannabis and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
