SHARES in MedLab Clinical Limited have surged after the nutritional pharmaceutical company announced it had won NSW government approval to conduct medicinal cannabis research.
MEDLAB on Wednesday said the Baird government had granted it a research licence for the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes, such as pain relief.
The company, which runs a laboratory in Sydney, said its research would “broadly encompass pain management as well as other medical conditions for varying age groups”. Medlab shares were up 1.5 cents, or 8.11 per cent, to 20 cents at 1014 AEST, following the news. In a statement, the company said it believed its patented particle delivery technology would mean smaller doses of cannabis would have to be used in patient care, resulting in less risk and fewer complications. The government approval for Medlab, which listed on the local stock market earlier in July, comes after this week’s announcement that Australia’s first medicinal cannabis trial would begin in 2016 at a Newcastle hospital. About 30 adults will participate in the first of three trials testing whether medicinal cannabis alleviates symptoms and pain for terminally ill patients and chronic sufferers. In June, the NSW government announced plans to build a $12 million medicinal cannabis research centre as it presses ahead with clinical trials into the controversial plant. Medlab is not the only publicly-listed company that may be eyeing clinical cannabis trials, with Perth-based medical marijuana company Phytotech making its stock market debut earlier this year. Canberra’s Capital Mining was the first ASX-listed company to hold a direct stake in a licensed grower, manufacturer and distributor of medical marijuana after it entered into an agreement with a Canadian company.