Avida Global to manufacture medical cannabis products in the UK

The company plans to manufacture and distribute medicinal cannabis products in the UK following the recent acquisition of BCM Specials.

Avida Global has announced the acquisition of Nottingham based, BCM Specials Ltd, the longest established Specials manufacturer in the UK.

The new company, Avida Medical, will manufacture and distribute medicinal cannabis products in the UK, in addition to servicing the existing Specials business.

The acquisition makes Avida Global the only full-service UK cannabis business licensed to operate in the heavily regulated medical, wellness and cosmetics space.

Medical cannabis falls under the Specials or unlicensed medicines category, which refers to medicines manufactured or procured specifically to meet the special clinical needs of an individual patient.

Earlier this month, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published new guidance setting out the authorisations required to manufacture unlicensed cannabis-based medicines in the UK.

The guidance, which has been described as the most significant step in the industry since medical cannabis was legalised in 2018, was welcomed with many saying transparency will encourage investment and lay the groundwork for a healthy domestic medicinal cannabis industry in the UK.

This acquisition gives Avida Global the accreditation and licences required to import, manufacture and distribute medicinal cannabis products in the UK for the human and veterinary market, surpassing what can be a lengthy, complicated and costly process.

Improving patient access

The UK is home to one of the largest patient populations using cannabis in Europe.

To date, approximately 20,000 people are thought to have been prescribed medical cannabis for a range of conditions including chronic pain, depression, insomnia and Parkinson’s, with this figure set to grow exponentially over the next two years.

According to recent data, there were approximately 23,466 privately prescribed unlicensed medical cannabis items dispensed in 2021, which represents a 425% increase since 2020.