Nextleaf Solutions receives US patent for synthesizing CBG-O-Acetate

Nextleaf Solutions Ltd, a federally regulated cannabis oil producer, said it was awarded a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office regarding a novel process for acetylating Cannabigerol (CBG), and the subsequent refinement of CBG-O-Acetate.

As described by Nextleaf, acetylation is an organic esterification reaction, which often utilizes acetic acid. Some examples of acetylated pharmaceuticals include Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and diacetylmorphine. 

Prior to the recent patent, the cannabis oil company was granted patents in the US and Canada for the acetylation of both CBD and THC, and the subsequent refinement of CBD-O-Acetate and THC-O-Acetate. 

READ: Nextleaf Solutions ships its first Glacial Gold products to the BC Liquor Distribution Branch

“THC-O-Acetate acts as a metabolic prodrug for THC itself, and chemically works the same way that diacetylmorphine does as a metabolic prodrug for morphine,” the company said. 

This new patent covers the proprietary production process of modifying CBG found in cannabis distillate into a prodrug, referred to as CBG-O-Acetate. As CBG-O-Acetate is metabolized in the body, the acetate group is removed, allowing the CBG to interact with the cannabinoid receptors.

“CBG is often referred to as the mother cannabinoid as so many other cannabinoids can be derived from its acidic form,” patent author and Nextleaf Solutions Chief Technology Officer Ryan Ko said in the statement. 

“This issuance provides further validation for our specialty molecules development roadmap.”

Nextleaf believes that the CBG-derived prodrug produced under its patented process may hold significant potential as a therapeutic product based on research that CBG may be effective in the treatment of inflammation, pain, and nausea. 

“Peer-reviewed research also suggests that CBG in higher doses may be beneficial in treating conditions such as Crohn’s disease1 and cancer2,” the company stated. 

Nextleaf owns 16 issued US patents and over 80 issued patents globally for the extraction, purification, and delivery of cannabinoids. The company’s holdings represent the third-largest patent portfolio among all cannabis companies after Canopy Growth and GW Pharma.

“We are thrilled to enhance our U.S. patent portfolio with this novel production process, that along with our Health Canada licenses, allows Nextleaf to develop and produce truly differentiated cannabinoid-based products through our Specialty Molecules Division,” said Nextleaf Solutions co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Paul Pedersen. 

“To the best of our knowledge, Nextleaf is the first company in the world – publicly traded or private – to be issued patents for the production of CBG-O-Acetate, a specialty molecule not legally available anywhere in the world.”

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Story by ProactiveInvestors