A centre which promises treatment of breast cancer with cannabis-based and other therapies should open for patient care in August in Kingston, according to Paul Burke, chairman of Apollon Formularies, a company initiated by UK-based investors.

In July, the company indicated that it had signed a long-term lease for its first international cancer institute in the Jamaican capital through its affiliate, Apollon Jamaica.

The new facility will specialise in complementary and alternative medical treatments and will allow the company to expand its patient treatment programme.

On August 1, 2021, Burke told the Jamaica Observer that the new centre was located on Ruthven Road in St Andrew, but that the exact address would be withheld until opening.

“We are somewhat behind schedule. Apollon Formularies has a new treatment centre to be opened in Kingston in August. As such, while there have been several inquiries and indications of interest we have no patients yet,” Burke told the Business Observer.

“We have a review and planning session...[after which] we should be able to project our starting day. Our formal launch will take place about a month after our opening,” he added.

The medical cannabis firm, in a release, said the new facility will specialise in complementary and alternative medical (CAM) treatments for cancer patients and will allow the company to expand its patient treatment programme for both Jamaican and international medical patients.

Apollon said the facility will generate additional revenue for the company and “allow it to gather patient data on its medical cannabis formulations and provide it with access to Jamaica's key medical hub”.

The company said its medical staff will include “a team of highly qualified, licensed Jamaican physicians who are experienced in treating cancer patients and are fully knowledgeable in quality, complementary and alternative medical care”.

Apollon CEO Stephen Barnhill was quoted as saying, “We are very excited to be opening the Apollon International Cancer Institute in Jamaica which will enable us to begin treating cancer patients using Apollon's CAM treatments. This is a milestone for the company as it is Apollon's first wholly owned facility, treating patients using the Apollon Formularies medical cannabis formulations. Additionally, it gives us a unique opportunity to gather invaluable data to fully determine the efficacy of Apollon's formulations directly on patients.

The company, which has units in London, England, and Toronto, Canada, said its therapy revolves around new discoveries that found medical cannabis formulations 100 per cent effective in killing breast cancer (HER2+) cells.

Aion Therapeutic, based in British Columbia, Canada, is one of its research units.

Previous reporting indicates that Apollon JamaicaCEO is American physician Dr Stephen Barnhill.

Barnhill owns 49 per cent of the shares. Under Jamaica's Cannabis Licensing Authority, the company must be majority owned by Jamaicans, giving Burke and nine other local investors a 51 per cent stake.

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