September Newsletter
Welcome to a month of exciting news, announcements and collaborations! We share two new major strategic partnership developments for Helius in our quest to expand access to quality medicinal cannabis products, provide some guidance on health insurance for medicinal patients, acknowledge a fantastic facility visit by our friends at East Health Trust, and wrap things up with a segment on Mental Health Awareness Week.
Helius Therapeutics partners with leading Australian distributor, Novachem
As the largest and most advanced medicinal cannabis company in New Zealand, we are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Novachem, a leading Australian distributor of medicinal cannabis products. This collaboration will see Novachem serve as the sponsor and primary distributor for a range of Helius’ New Zealand-grown, New Zealand-made, GMP-certified medicinal cannabis products in Australia, offering a wide range of product options for Australian patients.
Since 2021, we have been dedicated to providing high-quality medicinal cannabis products to Kiwi patients. The recent changes in New Zealand’s export regulations have created an exciting opportunity for Helius to extend our reach beyond New Zealand’s borders. Our state-of-the-art production facilities and unwavering commitment to research, development, and GMP standards ensure that our products are crafted with the highest levels of safety and quality.
“Our expansion into Australia represents an important milestone for Helius Therapeutics. Partnering with Novachem aligns with our mission to deliver top-tier, GMP-certified products to a broader patient base. The recent regulatory changes have made this opportunity possible, and we are excited to bring our premium products to a new market. This collaboration will enable us to extend our reach and improve the lives of more patients in need of advanced medicinal cannabis treatments.” Carmen Doran, CEO Helius Therapeutics.
This partnership marks a significant and exciting step forward for both Helius and Novachem. By combining our strengths, we are set to enhance the availability of premium medicinal cannabis products and advance the standards of care for Australian patients.
The good news doesn’t stop there: Helius Therapeutics partners with Balancial Denmark to launch premium medicinal cannabis extracts in Denmark. ?
This exciting announcement marks the debut of Helius’ products in the Danish market, a collaboration that merges our advanced cannabis cultivation and extraction expertise with Balancial Denmark’s strong local presence to address the increasing demand for medicinal cannabis in Denmark. The introduction of Helius extracts aims to provide Danish patients with a new, effective treatment option.
Since being regulated via the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme in April 2020, medicinal cannabis products in New Zealand must meet stringent safety, quality, and efficacy standards. We are committed to upholding these rigorous standards to deliver premium products.
Denmark’s medicinal cannabis program, introduced in January 2018, provides patients with access to regulated, high-quality cannabis-based treatments. Currently, approximately 10,000 patients in Denmark benefit from medicinal cannabis, highlighting the growing need and acceptance of these treatments.
“Our partnership with Balancial Denmark is a significant milestone in our mission to broaden access to high-quality medicinal cannabis. We are confident that our New Zealand-grown extracts will meet the high standards expected in the Danish market and positively impact patient care.” Carmen Doran, CEO Helius Therapeutics
“We are delighted to collaborate with Helius Therapeutics to introduce their medicinal cannabis extracts to Denmark. This partnership underscores our dedication to providing advanced treatment solutions while adhering to the highest regulatory standards.” Bo Tandrup, Managing Director Balancial Denmark
As part of the partnership, both companies are committed to delivering comprehensive educational support to healthcare professionals. This includes providing detailed product information, best practices for patient management, and ongoing training to ensure effective integration of medicinal cannabis into treatment plans. The goal is to equip healthcare providers with the knowledge and resources necessary to offer informed guidance and optimise patient outcomes.
Understanding medicinal cannabis and health insurance coverage ??
In Aotearoa, medicinal cannabis patients have the choice of two health insurance companies to provide support – Southern Cross Healthcare and nib.
If you’ve been considering exploring insurance options with either provider, here’s a handful of general insights:
Southern Cross Health Insurance
nib
If you carry health insurance, it’s important you contact your insurer prior to your consultation and apply for pre-approval. You will be asked to provide a copy of the consultation cost estimate and any other relevant medical information for your insurer to consider.1
1. Cannabis Clinic. Available at https://cannabisclinic.co.nz/acc-insurance/
Helius hosts East Health Trust
?Last month, we had the pleasure of hosting an educational evening for over 40 members, largely pharmacists, of the East Health Trust - a primary health organisation that provides services to ~120,000 patients across East Auckland.
Our visitors were given a comprehensive tour of our facility, along with an educational presentation, allowing us to share both the practical and theoretical aspects of medicinal cannabis.
We also introduced our HCP Education Portal - a new online resource we’ve developed to provide information and support healthcare professionals in their use of medicinal cannabis treatments.
Our huge thanks to Tinna Ko, Kwee Goh and Vicky Chan from East Health Trust PHO for organising the visit on their end! We loved the enthusiasm and curiosity shown by everyone who attended and were thrilled to answer everyone’s questions.
Helius is now planning to host several more on-site events for healthcare professionals in the coming months. Details of these events will also be available on the HCP education portal, which is open to registration by New Zealand registered healthcare professionals at www.hcp.helius.co.nz.
Mental Health Awareness Week: 23 – 29 September 2024
As our understanding of medicinal cannabis is continuously bolstered by bodies of authorised research, we start to see evidence of how mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and ADHD can benefit from medicinal cannabis.
For anxiety alone, the Journal of Clinical Psychology tells us that “CBD has shown promise as a treatment for both generalised anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder, with a rapid onset of action and an excellent safety profile.”1
Mental Health Awareness Week is on our doorstep, and this year’s theme is “Community is what we create together”.
A Helius core value is “Delivering results for our patients and society as a whole”, so naturally we couldn’t tautoko this sentiment more. Get behind this worthwhile initiative by visiting here.
1.Blessing et al. Neurotherapeutics.?2015 Oct; 12(4): 825–836
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