NANAIMO, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tilray, a global leader in medical cannabis research and production, today announced that it has received necessary regulatory approvals in Canada and Chile to export medical cannabis for distribution to Chilean patients.

“Today’s announcement marks Tilray’s entry into Latin America and expands our international reach to a fourth continent,” said Brendan Kennedy, Tilray President. “We are proud to be able to offer patients in need access to high quality, pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products.”

Tilray is partnering with Alef Biotechnology SpA to import and distribute Tilray products in the country. Alef is licensed by the Chilean government to commercially produce medical cannabis. Chilean law permits patients to access medical cannabis products under the supervision of a recommending physician. Currently, there are an estimated 88,000 Chilean patients suffering from a diverse range of conditions who could benefit from medical cannabis. The first shipment of Tilray products is expected to arrive in Chile by the end of February and will initially be available at select hospitals and pharmacies in Santiago. In addition to handling distribution of Tilray products in Chile, Alef has been granted the exclusive rights to distribute Tilray products in Brazil as part of an agreement between the two companies.

“Alef Biotechnology is committed to improving the quality of life of patients in need,” said Roberto Roizman, President of the Alef Biotechnology Board. “By importing Tilray’s medical cannabis products to Chile we intend to ease the suffering of those in need by offering pure, precise and predictable medical cannabis products.”

Tilray currently supplies pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products – including whole flower, oils and capsules – to thousands of patients, physicians, pharmacies, hospitals, governments and researchers around the world for commercial, compassionate access and research purposes.

Tilray became the first medical cannabis producer in North America to be GMP certified in December 2016. GMP certification is the most rigorous standard that manufacturers of medical products must meet in their production processes, and it provides regulators and health care providers in countries new to medical cannabis with certainty that Tilray products are the safe and smart choice.

GMP certification is enabling Tilray to expand international distribution of its products. In 2016, Tilray made history by becoming the first company to legally export medical cannabis products from North America to Australia and the European Union. In 2017, the company is focused on expanding global distribution of its products to additional countries in Europe and Latin America.

GMP certification is also allowing Tilray to continue to break new ground in clinical research, advancing the science, safety and efficacy of medical cannabis for patients with a diverse range of conditions. Tilray currently supplies pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products for three different clinical trials in partnership with world-leading hospitals and universities:

The first trial is being conducted in partnership with the University of British Columbia to examine the safety and tolerability of medical cannabis for Canadian military veterans and other patients suffering from PTSD.

The second trial is being conducted in partnership with the University of Sydney, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and the New South Wales government to study the safety, tolerability and efficacy of cannabinoids for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

The third trial is examining safety and tolerability of cannabinoids in children with Dravet Syndrome (a severe form of treatment-resistant epilepsy) at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.

Tilray plans to announce additional research partnerships in the coming year.

About Tilray

Tilray is a global leader in medical cannabis research and production dedicated to advancing the science, safety, and efficacy of medical cannabis. The company operates one of the largest and most sophisticated federally licensed medical cannabis cultivation facilities in the world, offering a range of products to patients, physicians, pharmacies, governments, hospitals and researchers in Australia, Canada, the European Union and Latin America.

About Alef Biotechnology

Alef Biotechnology is licensed by the Chilean government to commercially produce medical cannabis. The company is focused on medical cannabis research and development for the treatment of various medical condition. Its purpose is to increase the quality of life of those in pain, bringing dignity by developing innovative drugs and novel drug delivery systems to the market.