When you think of Saskatchewan, you may think of farming, potash, friendly people, but being an innovator in alternative pain therapies may not be at the top of your list, although there is a company which is raising the bar in this area.

A Saskatoon-based company, ZYUS Life Sciences Corporation, has had positive results with its Phase 1 human clinical trial on one of its cannabinoid based pharmaceutical drugs. Many people will have heard of THC and CBD from cannabis, but there is a third chemical from the plant that has been added to their softgel which is now moving on to a Phase 2 of human clinical trial.

President and CEO, Brent Zettl says no one has used the third chemical, called cannabichromene for pain management before.  ZYUS has the first patent for its use in several countries.  The first trial is to test its safety and the second trial will be about its efficacy.

Phase 3 uses a larger group of people to make sure the results are the same and then Phase 4 happens after the drug is approved and in the market.
The softgel called Trichomylin is one of three alternative pain management products that ZYUS is working on.