Mark Wainberg, Ph.D., Joins Cannabis Science's Scientific Advisory Board; Cannabis Science Presents Further Dimensions of CS-TATI-1 Discovery Platform at 8th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO--(Marketwired - Jul 23, 2015) - Cannabis Science, Inc. (OTC PINK: CBIS), a U.S. company specializing in the development of cannabis-based medicine and related consulting, is pleased to announce today the addition of Mark Wainberg, Ph.D., Director of the McGill University AIDS Centre at the Montreal Jewish General Hospital and Professor of Medicine and of Microbiology at McGill University.
Dr. Wainberg holds a prestigious place in the history of the HIV field. His laboratory at the McGill University AIDS Center primarily studies HIV reverse transcriptase, the molecular basis for drug resistance, and gene therapy. He received a B.Sc. from McGill University in 1966 and a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1972, and did his post-doctoral research at Hadassah Medical School of the Hebrew University. Dr. Wainberg and his collaborators were the first to identify the antiviral capabilities of 3TC in 1989 and test the drug in patients. 3TC was among the first antiretroviral drugs approved for the treatment of HIV.
From 1998 to 2000, Dr. Wainberg served as President of the International AIDS Society. He was Co-Chair of the XVI International AIDS Conference and is a past president of the Canadian Association for HIV Research. Dr. Wainberg is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the International AIDS Society and Editor of Retrovirology. He has been an editor on publications including the Journal of Human Virology, Journal of Leukocyte Biology, International Antiviral News, AIDS Patient Care and STDs, Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases and AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.
In 2001, Dr. Wainberg was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honor, for his "major contributions to the study and treatment of HIV/AIDS." In 2005, he was commissioned as an Officer of the National Order of Quebec, an order of merit bestowed by the government of the Province of Quebec. In 2000, he was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. In 2008, Wainberg was named a Chevalier de Légion d'honneur, the highest honor given by France.
Dr. Wainberg's life-long contribution to the field of basic and applied science in HIV research brings unprecedented value to the Company's continued efforts to accelerate the preclinical development of the mechanistic, cellular and immune-biology of CS-TATI-1. Roscoe M. Moore, Jr., D.V.M., Ph.D., D.Sc., Assistant U.S. Surgeon General (Retired), Special Senior Advisor to Cannabis Science and member of the Company's scientific advisory board, stated, "We welcome Dr. Wainberg's addition to the scientific brain trust of Cannabis Science. This appointment occurs at a critical moment, as federal support for cannabinoid research has experienced a definitive increase, encouraging commercial enterprises like CBIS to enhance current development efforts to discover further nuances in the mechanistic biology of THC and CBD based therapeutics that can address disparities in a range of inflammation based diseases."
AIDS treatment activist Timothy Ray Brown, Co-Founder of the CURE for AIDS Coalition, stated, "The use of cannabinoids as therapeutics for HIV is an interesting avenue of research that I believe should be fully investigated to determine the extent that they may benefit people living with HIV." The data presented at the 2015 IAS Pathogenesis Conference clearly positions the development of TAT Inhibitors of HIV to be of the foremost priority in the search for new targets to inhibit HIV replication.
Cannabis Science presents further dimensions of CS-TATI-1 discovery platform at 8th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention. Recent articles on CS-TATI-1 have appeared in A&U magazine and HIV + on the developments of CS-TATI-1 and data from peer reviewed presentations at the 29th International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR) and at the 2014 Developing Antiretroviral Therapy Conference. ViroStream, www.virostream.com, produced video segments at ICAR on the use of cannabinoids as anti-inflammatories for HIV driven cytokine elevation. These video segments capture the endorsement of key opinion leaders, including Dr. Wainberg, and will be presented on the CBIS website.
Raymond Dabney, Director, President and CEO of Cannabis Science, Inc., stated, "The IAS Pathogenesis in Vancouver this week closely followed our presentation at ICAR 2015 this past May. Recent developments in R&D of CS-TATI-1 by our collaborators and scientific staff have made significant progress towards clinical characterization of the therapeutic indexes of our lead compound activity to satisfy our initial regulatory submission of preclinical data. We are grateful to have the opportunity to further the discussion of the necessity of supporting further investigations of cannabinoid-based therapeutics to address viral driven inflammation at IAS 2015."
About IAS 2015
The 8th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) was held at the Vancouver Convention Centre on 19-22 July 2015 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This biennial forum is the largest open scientific conference on HIV/AIDS related issues and gathered some 6,000 delegates from across the globe. IAS 2015 is organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS), in partnership with the University of British Columbia (UBC) Division of AIDS, based at St. Paul's Hospital, Providence Health Care. The Division was created in 2007 to bring together, enhance and expand the research, training, service delivery and administration that have evolved over the last two decades within the UBC Department of Medicine and Providence Health Care.
About Cannabis Science, Inc.
Cannabis Science, Inc., takes advantage of its unique understanding of metabolic processes to provide novel treatment approaches to a number of illnesses for which current treatments and understanding remain unsatisfactory. Cannabinoids have an extensive history dating back thousands of years, and currently, there are a growing number of peer-reviewed scientific publications that document the underlying biochemical pathways that cannabinoids modulate. The Company works with leading experts in drug development, medicinal characterization, and clinical research to develop, produce, and commercialize novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment for illnesses caused by infections as well as for age-related illness. Our initial focus is on skin cancers, HIV/AIDS, and neurological conditions. The Company is proceeding with the research and development of its proprietary drugs as a part of this initial focus: CS-S/BCC-1, CS-TATI-1, and CS-NEURO-1, respectively.
CBIS is seeking collaboration with other industry leaders in joint development of cannabinoid-based therapies.
About ViroStream
ViroStream is a medical education company that brings together Key Opinion Leaders related to the HIV/AIDS field from around the world discussing the most relevant topics to understand the progress of clinical research from around the world. ViroStream has an initial focus on improving clinical competency focused on clinical and scientific development by the biotechnology industry related to HIV/AIDS: www.virostream.com
About the Cure for AIDS Coalition
The Cure for AIDS Coalition is a public benefit corporation whose sole mission is to find a cure for AIDS and was initially formed as an initiative of the Timothy Ray Brown Foundation of the World AIDS Institute. Since the announcement of the Coalition, it was decided to make the Coalition its own organization with a clear mission and focus. The first project of the Coalition is the creation of the "Cure Report". The Coalition seeks to unite, educate, raise awareness and advocate for full funding for research for a cure. It is to be made up of a network of organizations, corporations, institutions, governments, foundations and individuals all dedicated to the goal of finding a cure for HIV. Through the full engagement of these groups in the United States and worldwide, the Coalition will accomplish its cure mission. For more information, please see this link: www.cureaidsreport.org/cure-for-aids-coalition.
Forward-Looking Statements
This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing words such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based drugs. Cannabis Science, Inc., does not undertake any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements. Safe Harbor Statement. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a 'safe harbor' for forward-looking statements. Certain of the statements contained herein, which are not historical facts are forward looking statements with respect to events, the occurrence of which involved risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements may be impacted, either positively or negatively, by various factors. Information concerning potential factors that could affect the company are detailed from time to time in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.