CannQuit-N:
Nicotine Addiction

CanQuit-N is a patented smoking cessation chewing gum that combines cannabinoids with reducing doses of nicotine.

CannQuit-N combines nicotine and cannabidiol (‘CBD’) within a controlled-release, functional, medicated chewing gum aimed at disrupting the existing nicotine gum market, which totals approximately US$5.2B in sales per annum.

CannQuit products are designed to improve established therapies for the treatment of addiction. They do this by adding CBD, and the act of chewing, which is known to reduce cravings and anxiety which is critical for breaking the addiction cycle.

Medicated chewing gums deliver their active ingredients directly into the circulation of the oral mucosa, ensuring that the effects of the ingredients are delivered rapidly, but also in a sustained manner to reduce cravings for longer than other delivery methods.

Rapid onset and sustained effect are both qualities desirable for the treatment of addiction disorders. Furthermore, the act of chewing, known as mastication, also has a multi-action, anti-anxiety effect that has been demonstrated in other scientific assessments.

Cigarette smoking and nicotine addiction causes a wide variety of preventable diseases and remains a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, where it is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year, including nearly 42,000 deaths from second-hand smoke exposure. The total economic cost of smoking in the US is estimated at more than US$325 billion per annum. This includes nearly US$170 billion in direct medical care for adults and more than $156 billion in lost productivity.

Nicotine chewing gum is already a long-standing and accepted product throughout the globe, however, treatment progression to complete smoking cessation is limited. By adding CBD in a combination product, CannQuit-N is hypothesised by Incannex to improve upon the therapeutic outcomes of nicotine only gum. The patented technology of controlled and sustained release of the active ingredients is also believed to improve the therapeutic value of this novel drug candidate. Nicotine replacement therapy by CBD has a solid pre-clinical basis and encourages Incannex to further develop and investigate CannQuit-N in clinical trials.

CBD has been found to inhibit the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor which plays a role in the reinforcing effects of nicotine. Interactions of endocannabinoids with the CB1 receptor are essential in mediating behaviours associated with addiction and there are preliminary clinical observations suggesting that CBD may help to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked in a day.

Nicotine chewing gum market sales of US$ 5.2B** in 2020.