In the UK, there are an estimated 1.4 million ill people relying on medical cannabis for its therapeutic effect.
Medisonal will aim to provide legal access to CBPM through our network of General Medical Council (GMC) registered specialist consultants.This will be a bespoke service where the appropriate CBPM is prescribed to meet the patients’ specific needs.
We have two principal goals. In the short term we will look to make CBPM more affordable privately and longer-term, to work with the NHS to further increase its reach to all patients.
Access to CBPM still remains a challenge in the UK and we will task ourselves with making that process simpler, whilst at the same time focusing on being a commercial enterprise at the forefront of the UK cannabis arena.
Several years ago, I started to notice Cannabis-Based Products for Medicinal Use (CBPM) in the news. In one particular week towards the end of 2017, I heard it mentioned three times in as many conversations. It was then I realised I needed to look more closely into it.
At the time, I was recovering from a shoulder operation following a skiing accident and had been prescribed an opiate-based painkiller. It numbed the pain alright, but after experiencing some very unpleasant side effects, including drowsiness, I decided to stop taking them.
What I’d heard prompted me to try some CBPM instead, and this more natural approach gave me some relief, yet without the associated symptoms mentioned above. By comparison, the CBPM didn’t give me any side effects and I felt some relief in the constant throbbing of my shoulder.
This first-hand experience increased my interest, and I started having discussions with a new manufacturer who was about to embark on building a super high-tech, EU-GMP facility (now up and running). As I monitored developments in Germany and other EU countries, it became obvious that it was only a matter of time before the UK followed, so I decided to found Medisonal to help patients access medical cannabis.
In early 2018, several high-profile UK cases gave CBPM the exposure it needed. On 1 November 2018, some incredible lobbying of the UK government by parents of children affected by conditions known to be treatable with CBPM led, at last, to the reclassification of cannabis to schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs act of 1971. Despite this, over two years later, access to cannabis-based medicine in the UK remains a challenge.
Since 2017, I have been researching the UK market and seeking out the best management team to accompany me on my Medisonal journey. Today, I’m proud to have in place a core management and advisory team who are each ‘best-in-class’, experienced in their own field and bringing a unique skill set to the table.
Meanwhile, as I foresaw, developments are gaining momentum. These developments will see medical Cannabis shed its taboos and become as accepted as other plant-based remedies with incredible healing properties.
At Medisonal, we position ourselves at the cornerstone of CBPM developments in the UK. We are founded on three core values:
At Medisonal, we are at the forefront of making CBPM affordable and accessible to patients in the UK and the rest of the world. We will drive its acceptance by providing evidence through clinical trials and reputable academic theses and studies, educating the public, practitioners and agencies in its use and effectiveness. The time is now!
Lloyd founded Medisonal to be part of one of the biggest game changers of our generation. He intends to make a positive impact on both the industry and patients’ lives by making CBPM more accessible. He has worked in Investment banking since 1996 for some of the world’s largest banks. Having lived abroad for 7 years, most notably working in Hong Kong for 4 of those, he has established a reliable global network of contacts from multiple disciplines and industries which will benefit the development of the business.
Hana worked in financial services for over 15 years and held senior positions in leading global investment banks. Her last banking role was Managing Director at Goldman Sachs. Hana has worked in Biotech for the past 5 years. She is also Founder and Treasurer of charity Microtia, where she played an integral part in helping to change NICE (NHS) guidelines for treatment of those with Microtia. Hana has been philanthropist for over 20 years, helping to secure funding for variety of projects and institutions including GOSH, UCL & The Royal Free.
Anthony is a senior consultant in pain medicine. He graduated from the University of London in 1978, and has been a specialist in pain medicine for 25 years, founding a respected NHS teaching hospital pain clinic and teaching young pain specialists and doctors. He was appointed to a special Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians, and was President of the Pain Medicine Section at the Royal Society of Medicine.
Always an innovator, Anthony began to prescribe cannabis medicines for pain, feeling they were often better and safer than many conventional medicines. He helped set up a leading UK cannabis medicine clinic, and lectures on the subject.
Anthony is helping to develop the role of cannabis medicines in all areas of health care, and to develop new and innovative ways of delivering these medicines.
Katrina (Kat) started in healthcare over a decade ago and has been a Registered Adult Nurse for the past 5 years. Following experience in A&E Trauma Nursing she returned to palliative care in the Hospice setting and then specialised in Chronic Pain as a Neuromodulation Pain Sister, continuing her education through PgC (Epilepsy Nursing), MSc Neuromodulation Module and now Advanced Clinical Practice (MSc).
She has a daughter diagnosed with a genetic disorder causing refractory epilepsy, finding improvement with prescribed cannabis medicine. This passion for medical cannabis led her to become a Cannabis Nurse with over one years previous experience in this specialist area.
With an extensive variety of patient nursing experience, she has the personal and professional knowledge to bring to the role of Lead Nurse in the Medical Cannabis clinical setting. Her main aim will be to to holistically support patients’ accessing medical cannabis. This will be achieved by offering support to the clinical team in delivery of this care so that patients can look forward to a better quality of life.
After qualifying as a Pharmacist in 1991, Carl owned and managed numerous retail pharmacies. He branched out in 2014, opening a private out-patient hospital where he still works today. Carl still operates a pharmacy within the hospital and is a partner in Cloud RX.
Laurence comes from a scientific background having graduated in Pharmacology before moving to UCL to complete a Masters degree in Drug Discovery and Pharma Management. Since then, Laurence has worked at London’s Global cannabis consultancy, Hanway Associates, where he provided services such as competitor analysis, M&A strategy and licencing advice to a large variety of cannabis companies across Europe.
Thomas joined Medisonal with prior experience within the cannabis industry. Having created several start-ups in a range of areas, he has been tasked with identifying new business opportunities. He is also responsible for liaising with our research department and scientific partners in order to align our commercial and scientific interests. He has gained a BSc (Hons) in film production technology from Nottingham Trent University; He will be using his skills to add a different dimension to the creative side of our business.
Andrew has enjoyed a 30-year career in law and compliance with an emphasis on investment and asset management and securities law matters. Mr. Case was associated with Rogers & Wells in New York and Baker & McKenzie in Hong Kong, specializing in IPOs and M&A. He then joined Merrill Lynch and later Morgan Stanley where he managed those banks’ cross-border financing and M&A work in Hong Kong and London. He has acted as the compliance officer for a number of private equity and financial firms, including Forum Partners, HBS London and the Duet Group. Mr. Case received a B.A. (magna cum laude) from Yale University, and he is Juris Doctor from Columbia University. He is also a member of the New York and Connecticut bars.
Donald Featherstone joins the Medisonal Board of Directors in the role as an NED. Donald is the Senior Managing Director at Ankura and is based in London. Donald has more than 30 years of professional experience in finance and corporate governance. He has advised a variety of clients on capital raising and refinancing strategies across a wide range of industries and geographies. Prior to joining Ankura, Donald was a Managing Director and Partner at the Boston Consulting Group. Donald has served on the board of a number of companies including O3B Satellite Networks, SeaTrucks International, and Viking SeaTech.
Nick Davis is Chief Executive of Memery Crystal and a senior corporate partner. Nick has positioned himself at the forefront of the medical cannabis market in the UK and was one of the key actors in lobbying the FCA to agree the listing of cannabis related business on London’s primary markets, the Official List.
Amelia is a qualified doctor working in the NHS. She graduated from UCL medical school where she also completed an integrated BSc in Global Health. Her passions align with Global Health and Women’s Health and emerging treatment strategies. She has published several papers in the field of Global Health, Nanotechnology and Material Sciences, including a paper in The Lancet. She is currently working on a PhD in pelvic mesh for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse at Imperial College London
Dr. Hasson specialises in all types of paediatric conditions as well as all aspects of paediatric rheumatology but in particular Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Dr Hasson is an active daily prescriber of CBPM in his field of speciality.
Karolina is a London based Consultant Gynaecologist, with a special interest in minimal access gynaecological surgery. She has a strong track record in research and has published extensively within the field of endometriosis and pelvic pain. She is passionate about tech innovation in the health and wellbeing space and advises startups on developing innovative care platforms, with a focus on women’s health.
Dr. Ben Sessa is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist who has worked with young people and adults in the field of addictions and trauma-related psychiatry for over 20 years.
For the last 15 years Ben has been at the forefront of psychedelic research in the UK through his affiliations with Bristol University and Imperial College London, alongside of Professor David Nutt. He has taken part as a study doctor and as a healthy subject both receiving and administering MDMA, psilocybin, LSD, DMT and ketamine in multiple UK research studies.
A Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon based at University College Hospital, specialising in Shoulder and Elbow problems. He is Head of the Upper Limb Section of the Institute of Sports, Exercise and Health.
PCCA are our exclusive import partner. They help by providing flexible outsourced distribution services, supporting Medisonal to gain market access for their products.
www.pccarx.co.uk
Liberum health’s first offering is to develop a patented drug delivery system comprising of a novel nanocomposite material, both biodegradable and non-toxic; This provides individualised, targeted treatment for women as they navigate varying health conditions at different stages of their life.
Their partnership with Medisonal is aimed at positioning both parties as leaders within an innovative market, marrying clinical expertise with access to an array of CBPM products to provide tailored solutions for managing women’s health needs.
They are commercialising a new family of biodegradable and non-biodegradable graphene-based nanocomposites, Hastalextm and BioHastalextm that help repair or replace damaged or missing organs. These composites are superior to any other material available today. They also licence materials and collaborate with other companies for non-medical applications.
www.nanoregmed.com
Surface has been collaborating with Medisonal since its inception, to create a strong and recognisable image, with an emphasis on visual consistency, throughout their branding and online presence.
www.surfacedesignconsultancy.com