Novel Cannabinoid Pharmaceuticals Provide Targeted Delivery of Cannabinoids and Reduced Delivery of Psychoactive THC to the Brain

/EINPresswire.com/ -- LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/27/16 -- Vitality Biopharma, Inc. (OTCQB: STVFD) ("Vitality" or the "Company") a corporation dedicated to the development of cannabinoid prodrug pharmaceuticals, and to unlocking the power of cannabinoids for the treatment of serious neurological and inflammatory disorders, today announced updates to its clinical development plans including the advancement of cannabosides for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Vitality Biopharma has developed a new class of cannabinoid prodrugs, known as cannabosides, which upon ingestion can enable the selective delivery of THC and cannabidiol (CBD) to the gastrointestinal tract. Site-specific delivery could enable oral drug formulations of cannabinoids to provide therapeutic benefits while reducing or avoiding the systemic delivery of THC into the bloodstream. Currently, high concentrations of psychoactive THC in the brain limit the dose of cannabinoids that can be used elsewhere in the body for treatment of pain and inflammation.

Independent clinical trial results suggest that cannabinoids will help induce remission in Crohn's disease patients, and that the vast majority of inflammatory bowel disease patients experience symptomatic relief, including more than 75% of patients who report improvement in visceral pain and abdominal cramping. Approximately 1.4 million Americans are affected by inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Most patients are diagnosed before age 30 and require life-long treatment.

"A long-standing pursuit of pharmaceutical and medical researchers is to provide the benefits of cannabinoids in a more targeted manner, and our cannabosides are poised to deliver this," said Robert Brooke, CEO and Co-Founder of Vitality Biopharma. "Our drug development plans continue to highlight therapeutic areas that stand to benefit most, and gastroenterology is a clear example."

More details of Vitality Biopharma's clinical development plans for cannabosides may be found in its corporate presentation, which is available online: http://vitality.bio/investors/presentation/

About Vitality Biopharma (OTCQB: STVFD)
Vitality Biopharma is dedicated to unlocking the power of cannabinoids for the treatment of serious neurological and inflammatory disorders. For more information, visit: www.vitality.bio. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Vitality Biopharma
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