Hemop Gazette
New Zealand’s Helius Therapeutics is teaming up with local biotechnology company Greenlab on medicinal cannabis genetic development and breeding.
Helius was the first medicinal cannabis company in New Zealand to achieve GMP certification and be awarded a Licence to Manufacture Medicines. It has an 8,800 square-metre integrated facility in Auckland where the firm carries out indoor controlled cultivation, analytics, research, manufacturing, logistics, management and distribution.
Greenlab, based at Lincoln University, is engaged in research, development and cultivation of pharmaceutical grade medical cannabis compounds. It was the first New Zealand South Island based company to be awarded a research and development licence in August 2019, the same year it was founded.
The joint research programme is aiming to better understand the potential of medicinal cannabis and expand Helius’ genetics library. This will assist the company in developing specialised and targeted therapeutics for patients struggling with finding solutions through the use of conventional pharmaceuticals.
Commenting on the partnership, Chief Executive of Helius Therapeutics Carmen Doran said:
