Andy Yates: Taking cannabis down from the high to solve unmet medical needs

Transformation in Trials

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Sam and Ivanna speak to Andy Yates, the Chief Scientific Officer for Artelo Biosciences about how they are tapping into the potential of the endocannabinoid system to increase treatment results for oncology patients.

Artelo Biosciences has departed from the cannabis plant as the single source of cannabinoids to target specific parts of the endocannabinoid system, and separate the effect on the body from the brain. “You cannot get high off our drug,” Andy Yates says.

Using the natural appetite-enhancing properties of cannabinoids, Artelo Biosciences is currently developing treatment for cancer anorexia - the accompanying loss of appetite that follows in the wake of cancer or cancer treatment. Currently there are no licensed medicines in this area. Reversing weight loss can potentially increase survival times and morbidity time with cancer.

An increase in appetite means patients moving about more, but also joining the family at the dinner table or going out for social interactions. The increase in activity is measured through wearables according to the principle of “Keep-It-Simple-Stupid” to avoid overloading patients with notifications or commitments.

We speak about how the stigma about targeting the endocannabinoid system has all but disappeared in the past years, and how the understanding of cannabinoids has evolved with the regulatory bodies also. The logistics requirements for clinical trials vary between countries and geographies though, making it especially difficult to navigate when multiple regulatory bodies need to be involved within the same country.

About the our Guest:

Andy Yates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-y-4985aa1/

Artelo Biosciences: https://artelobio.com/

Dr. Andy Yates has served as the Chief Scientific Officer for Artelo Biosciences since January 2021. Dr. Yates has more than 15 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry including 10 years as an executive at AstraZeneca. He held key roles within the medical affairs, commercial, business development and strategy functions for AstraZeneca’s in-line and development portfolio. Dr Yates has been extensively involved in the life-cycle management of key multi-billion dollar products leading to the funding and initiation of significant development programmes. Whilst in business development he led evaluations and transactions that resulted in multiple collaborative agreements with academia, biotechnology and peer pharma. Dr. Yates is a UK registered pharmacist who received his PhD in cannabinoid medicinal chemistry from the University of Nottingham.

Notes:

The Centre for Medicinal Cannabis: https://thecmcuk.org/

European Medical Cannabis Association: https://eumca.org/

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