InMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IMLFF)
InMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IMLFF) is a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of novel therapeutics leveraging the pharmacological benefits of cannabinoids. Utilizing its proprietary bioinformatics assessment tool, InMed aims to identify bioactive compounds found within the cannabis plant that have the potential to offer optimized therapeutic benefit while demonstrating limited adverse effects. This assessment tool, in combination with the company's cannabinoid biosynthesis technology and drug development pipeline, serves as InMed's fundamental value driver.
Bioinformatics is a proprietary, computer-based program designed to assist in the identification of novel cannabinoids using comprehensive algorithms to integrate data from numerous bioinformatics databases, as well as a database on the structure of currently approved pharmaceutical products and an extensive database on over 90 individual cannabinoid drugs found in cannabis. This extensive collection of data is derived from both public and propriety-based sources. Leveraging this tool, the company aims to create associations between approved pharmaceuticals and cannabinoids with similar structures in order to identify active cannabinoids that have the potential to treat specific diseases. Per InMed's website, this type of bioinformatics assessment represents "significant promise for future drug discovery, as it integrates many data sets and builds holistic models to approach a specific disease."
After discovering these promising active cannabinoids, InMed moves to test and confirm their activity in biological systems through in vitro and in vivo experimentation. It is at this stage of development that the company's proprietary biosynthesis process of cannabinoid manufacturing will be most promising. InMed is currently developing a robust, high-yield biosynthesis process for manufacturing all 90+ naturally-occurring cannabinoids. By modifying the agriculture-based formula for harvesting cannabinoids, InMed aims to combine the inherent safety and known efficacy of the natural drug structure with the convenience, control and quality of 21st Century laboratory-based manufacturing processes.
The company's pipeline currently includes two drug candidates in preclinical development, including INM-750 for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa (EB) and INM-085 for the treatment of glaucoma. Referred to by the Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America as "The Worst Disease You've Never Heard Of," EB is a rare genetic connective tissue disorder that affects roughly one out of every 20,000 births in the United States. The condition currently has no approved treatment or cure. Through the development of INM-750, InMed is attempting to address this significant unmet medical need. The drug candidate replaces missing keratins in the skin with specially selected cannabinoids in an effort to modulate the painful manifestations of EB.
INM-085, InMed's second development candidate, is formulated to reduce the elevated intra-ocular pressure that is often associated with glaucoma. Additionally, the cannabinoids utilized in INM-085 are expected to provide neuroprotection for the retinal ganglion cells and other optic nerve tissues following topical administration. Although it is still in preclinical development, INM-085 targets a sizable market. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness with no approved cure. The National Institutes of Health estimates that more than 3 million Americans currently have glaucoma, and more than 120,000 have been blinded by the disease.
InMed is focused on progressing toward validation of its drug candidate selection, using data to secure its patents and developing key disruptive technologies. In 2016, the company was successful in completing financings of $1.9 million. In January 2017, InMed completed a non-brokered private placement of common shares generating aggregate gross proceeds of C$1.5 million, strongly positioning the company to attract the new investment required to fund its aggressive growth strategies in 2017.
The company's management team has well over a century of combined experience in the biopharmaceutical space. Company CEO Eric Adams has more than 25 years of experience in company and capital formation, global market development, mergers and acquisitions, licensing and corporate governance. During his time as CEO of enGene Inc., he led the gene therapy startup to a position at the head of the industry.
Joining Adams on the InMed management team are Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Sazzan Hossain; Senior Vice President, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs Alexandra D.J. Mancini; SVP, Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations Chris Bogart; and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Charpentier, as well as Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ado Muhammed, MD, DPM, MFPM.
Muhammed, in particular, has an extensive history in the pharmaceutical industry, having previously served as an executive of GW Pharmaceuticals, a global leader in the development of cannabinoid-based medicines. During his time as Associate Medical Director of that company, Muhammed played an instrumental role in the development and FDA approval of one of the first cannabis drugs. This GW Pharmaceuticals development program coincided with a sharp rise in share price from less than $9 in 2013 to more than $129 today, with the company's current market value totaling more than $2.9 billion.
