San Diego-based CV Sciences has received patent approval in Japan for its CBD-nicotine formulation for treating smokeless tobacco addiction.
CV Sciences announced this morning that it had received a formal Certificate of Grant from the Japan Patent Office (JPO).
The patent (7216687) covers CV Sciences’ smokeless tobacco addiction treatment method, which involves the company’s proprietary pharmaceutical CBD-nicotine formulation.
The company has filed corresponding patent applications in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany, Great Britain, France, Spain, Netherlands, and Italy.
For many years, Japan has been one of the heaviest tobacco-smoking countries in the world, per capita.
But in recent years, combustible tobacco use rates have been declining, particularly among males.
In 2005, 49 percent of Japanese men and 14 percent of women smoked.
In 2019, Japan’s male smoking rate dropped below 30 percent for the first time.
The drop in cigarette use is partly due to smoking bans in public areas and many indoor locations.
Public awareness campaigns and heated tobacco products (HTP) like e-liquid vapes and dry herb vaporizers have also had an impact.
CV Sciences CEO Joseph Dowling says the global market for smoking cessation products rose to $20 billion in 2021.
Dowling says the market is poised to hit $54 billion by 2031.
“CV Sciences’ developmental efforts surrounding CBD and nicotine have the portential to alter healthcare with a safe, natural method to reducing addiction to harmful substances,” says Dowling in a press release. “JPO’s patent grant further validates our first-of-its-kind treatment and positions the company to meet the medical needs of millions of patients globally.”
CV Sciences’ JPO-granted patent covers the company’s initial drug candidate, CBD-nicotine formulation CVSI-007, for smokeless tobacco use and addiction cessation.
Having obtained a patent in Japan, CV Sciences says it will continue development efforts and seek FDA approval.
CV Sciences aims to commercialize the world’s first-and-only FDA-approved smokeless tobacco addiction treatment.
The company is also seeking strategic opportunities to further the program’s development.