Ease Labs set to produce medical cannabis in Minas Gerais

Belo Horizonte could host the first national laboratory for the production of medical cannabis in Minas Gerais, a southeastern Brazilian state.

Ease Labs, a multinational company that operates in this segment, has just acquired the Belo Horizonte pharmaceutical laboratory in the capital of the region to begin manufacturing products in Brazil. Production is expected to begin by the end of the first semester.

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Business acquisition helps the industry for medical cannabis in Minas Gerais

Although the acquisition values were not disclosed due to contractual issues, Ease Labs CEO, Gustavo de Lima Palhares, said that this is a laboratory that was a pioneer in herbal cannabis in Minas Gerais and in the country, with over 50 years of history.

Located in the Guarani neighborhood in the city’s northern region, the space has over 15,000 square feet of productive area, complete quality control, a microbiological control sector and the capacity to produce 3,600 products per hour.

“This will guarantee us an average production of 6.5 million drugs per year, enough to supply all the demand for the products in Brazil. We are developing a very diversified portfolio, with cannabis-focused on the diseases and symptoms most in-demand in the country. In addition, our production line will include other medicines and supplements of natural origin, manufactured from inputs from the Brazilian biodiversity,” he explained.

Ease Labs follows rules for cannabis in Minas Gerais

To this end, Ease Labs is carrying out the necessary processes for registration with the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), which approved the production and release of cannabis products for medical use in pharmacies in Brazil at the end of 2019. The regulation is temporary, valid for three years, and will come into force in March this year.

According to the executive, 40 new jobs could be generated with the operation of the laboratory, a number that could triple in 2021. In the same year, the company estimates to earn $46 million (R$190 million).

“We have hired an experienced director in Regulatory and Compliance to certify that the regulation of surveillance and other regulatory agencies for cannabis in Minas Gerais are strictly followed. We always want to follow all applicable instructions and standards, acting with excellence in the manufacturing of our products,” he said.

Exporting cannabis in Minas Gerais

Initially, the focus will be marketing in the domestic market, but Ease Labs is already studying the exportation of cannabis in Minas Gerais. Currently, the company makes the products available by direct import by the final patient through Anvisa’s import authorization.

According to the decision of the regulatory agency, cannabidiol-based products may be sold in pharmacies under prescription and prescription retention. Thus, the commercialization by the company will be made both by commercial representatives and by distributors and pharmacy chains throughout the country.

“Now, patients will be able to access this therapeutic possibility with guaranteed quality, efficacy and safety, at a much more affordable price and without all the bureaucracy of the current procedure,” added Gustavo de Lima Palhares.

Cannabis planting in Brazil

Although production will occur from imported inputs, the intention in the medium term is to make the full verticalization of all stages of production from seed to sale, be it in national territory or abroad.

It is worth remembering that besides registration and production, there was also a project at Anvisa to legalize cannabis planting in Brazil for medical use exclusively. However, the proposal was rejected.

At the same time, the issue is still being discussed in the National Congress and may gain new directions in this exercise.

Ease Labs has offices in São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Montevideo (Uruguay) and a partnership with a major pharmaceutical inputs producer laboratory in the United States.

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(Featured image by cmonk66007 via Pixabay)

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