1′,1′-Dimethylheptyl-Δ-8-tetrahydrocannabinol-11-oic Acid: A Novel, Orally Effective Cannabinoid with Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Properties

  “1′,1′-Dimethylheptyl-Δ-8-tetrahydrocannabinol-11-oic acid (CT-3) is a novel cannabinoid that is under development by Atlantic Pharmaceuticals as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of CT-3 on overt symptom complex (Irwin’s test), nociception, gastrointestinal (GI) ulceration, and pharmacological availability after intragastric (i.g.) and intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration… .The evidence indicates that CT-3 exhibits a large dissociation between its anti-inflammatory/analgesic effects and its ulcerogenic actions. CT-3 warrants clinical development as a novel anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug.”

“1′,1′-Dimethylheptyl-Δ-8-tetrahydrocannabinol-11-oic acid (CT-3) is a novel cannabinoid with analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. CT-3 is chemically similar to Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, dronabilone) and nabilone.”

“Analgesia is one of the most profound effects of THC in most species after its parenteral administration, and THC had shown equivalent potency to morphine in rats and mice in a variety of analgesic tests, including the tail-flick latency measurements. Several synthetic cannabinoids have also shown analgesic activities in animal models selective for detecting opiate analgesics.”

“The analgesic action of CT-3 is well confirmed in rats and in mice. Available evidence indicates that CT-3 exhibits two distinct pharmacological properties: an anti-inflammatory property occurring at a very low dose (ED50 = ∼0.1 mg/kg i.g.; and an analgesic property occurring at a higher dose (ED50 = ∼5 mg/kg i.g. and i.p.). The present results indicate that CT-3 is an orally effective analgesic drug, and acceptable pharmaceutical formulation of CT-3 would not require the adjuvant use of permeability enhancers to promote its bioavailability. CT-3 clearly warrants clinical development as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug.”

http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/291/1/31.long