Althea Group Holdings Limited announce its medical cannabis business Althea, has launched two innovative new products to meet patient needs. Commencing with Althea CBD25, Althea has released an exclusive range of soft gelatine capsules (`soft gel capsules') containing Althea's trusted full-spectrum cannabis extract, manufactured to EU-GMP standard. Each capsule of Althea CBD25 contains 25mg of cannabidiol (CBD), and less than 0.25mg of delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per capsule.

As a full-spectrum product, Althea CBD25 also contains terpenes, flavonoids and other phytochemicals. Phytochemicals including cannabinoids and terpenes may have synergistic effects, a hypothesis often referred to as the `entourage effect'. Althea's unique range of soft gel capsules are administered orally, offering a gradual onset and extended duration of effect, compared to the rapid onset and shorter duration of effect for products requiring inhalation (dried flower products).

In vitro studies have demonstrated effective disintegration of Althea soft gel capsules in less than 10 minutes and there is no significant difference in pharmacokinetic properties expected for patients converting to soft gel capsules from Althea's first generation (or other suppliers') bottled oil products. Why launch Althea CBD25 soft gel capsules?: Solid oral dosage formats are the gold-standard pharmaceutical preparation globally and are widely recognised for maximising patient acceptability and compliance. A consumer preference survey of soft gel capsules versus conventional solid oral dosage forms identified soft gel capsules as the first choice of delivery format.

First generation bottled cannabis oils remain a challenge for patients with visual or dexterity impairments, taste intolerances and for patients residing in aged care facilities and hospitals (where medicines are allocated and dispensed). Althea soft gel capsules provide familiarity, convenience and confidence for doctors and patients, delivering precise and standardised dosing of the medicine. The release of soft gel capsules will continue to position Althea as a leader and innovator in the global medical cannabis industry.

Schedule 3 Pharmacist only medicine (Australia): Subject to required regulatory approvals, Althea CBD25 soft gel capsules are a candidate to be supplied under the Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA) Schedule 3 (Pharmacist Only Medicine) entry for eligible CBD products. This new, non-prescription cannabis channel could allow Australian patients to purchase Althea CBD25 over the counter upon consultation with a pharmacist, without the need for a prescription. What is Althea THC25 dried flower?: Althea THC25 is a new and exclusive ultra-high THC cannabis dried flower product, containing 25% THC and less than 1% of CBD.

Greenhouse grown in Canada and produced to meet the stringent standards of a pharmaceutical preparation for inhalation, Althea THC25 also retains a rich terpene and flavonoid profile. Althea THC25 is Althea's highest-concentrated THC dried flower product and will be available across all its `core' international medical cannabis markets (including Germany, UK and Australia). Why launch Althea THC25 dried flower?: Althea has until now focussed primarily on cannabis extracts, however, with a growing number of consumers accessing cannabis dried flower products via the medical framework, Althea THC25 has been introduced to capitalize on this sizeable market opportunity.

Market data indicates that dried flower cannabis is the fastest growing product category in Australia and now accounts for 50.6% of the total market (+450% annual growth). The dried flower market is primarily driven by highly concentrated THC products, representing just over half of the total dried flower category. Althea THC25, the first of three new planned dried flower offerings, will be launched globally and supported by Althea's infield sales team, which will focus on educating the 1,400+ registered prescribers in the Althea network.