Tetra Bio-Pharma names Aphria CFO as Chairman of Audit Committee
Momentum Public Relations
Press Release: February 26, 2018
Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. (“Tetra” or the “Corporation”) (TSX VENTURE:TBP)(OTCQB:TBPMF), announced changes to its Board of Directors (the “Board”) today, including the appointment of Aphria Inc.’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mr. Carl Merton, as Chair of Tetra’s Audit Committee.
In addition to his extensive financial background, Mr. Merton is a Chartered Accountant and has served as a past Chair of both the CICBV and the International Association of Professional Business Valuators. Mr. Merton is currently a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Audit Committee of Motor City Community Credit Union.
Mr. Merton has served on the Tetra Board since 2016 and brings over 20 years of financial and business experience to the Audit Committee. He replaces Mr. Robert Brouillette, whose resignation was accepted immediately upon the Board becoming aware that a decision had been rendered by a professional regulatory organization against Mr. Brouillette in relation to professional activities unrelated to his responsibilities as a director of Tetra.
Mr. André Rancourt, Tetra’s Chair, was also named to the Audit Committee. Mr. Rancourt also acts as a consultant on several commercial strategy committees including FIA and IRZC. He has significant practical experience that provided him with expertise in many fields, including human and animal natural health products. Over the last ten years, he worked as a consultant to re-organize the operations of companies on behalf of several venture capital investment funds.
“These appointments further strengthen our corporate governance practices,” said Tetra CEO Bernard Fortier. “Both Mr. Merton and Mr. Rancourt have stellar reputations in the capital market and will continue to provide our management team and our entire Board with support and guidance as we embark on the next stage of our growth.”
About Tetra Bio-Pharma:
Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX VENTURE:TBP)(OTCQB:TBPMF) is a biopharmaceutical leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery and clinical development. Tetra is focusing on three core business pillars: clinical research, pharmaceutical promotion and retail commercialization of cannabinoid-based products.
More information at: www.tetrabiopharma.com
Source: Tetra Bio-Pharma
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-looking statements
Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Corporation believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words “may”, “will”, “should”, “continue”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “believe”, “intend”, “plan” or “project” or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Corporation’s ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Corporation to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, failure to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Corporation’s business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Corporation’s research strategies, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions and other risks disclosed in the Corporation’s public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. While no definitive documentation has yet been signed by the parties and there is no certainty that such documentation will be signed The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Corporation does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.
Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.
Andre Rancourt
Executive Chairman
andre.r@tetrabiopharma.com
(438) 899-7575
- Published in Tetra Bio Pharma, Uncategorized
Sun Life Signals the Start of Mass Medical Cannabis Market
Momentum Public Relations
Blog: February 16 2018
Sun Life Signals the Start of Mass Medical Cannabis Market
Aphria Becomes SAQ Recreational Marijuana Supplier
Tetra Bio-Pharma Receives Approval for Phase Three Medical Cannabis Cancer Chronic Pain Treatment
As the countdown to marijuana legalization accelerates the acceptance of medical cannabis has become more common. A defining moment has taken place with the decision by the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada to include medical cannabis in group benefit health plans. It is the first Canadian insurance company to do so.
According to the Globe And Mail, employers will have the option of including medical cannabis coverage under an extended group health care benefit plan, starting on March 1, 2018.
As any Canadian knows Sun Life is a huge company. Its benefit plan serves 22,000 companies and covers more than five million employees and dependents.
In the Globe And Mail Story by Clare O’Hara, the senior vice-president of group benefits at Sun Life, Doug Jones, is reported to have said that the company decided to include medical cannabis coverage in its group benefit health plans because the companies it offered coverage to were asking about cannabis coverage on an increasing basis.
Employers will now have the choice about whether to include medical cannabis coverage and up to what level. Under the new system, coverage will be available from $1,500 to $6,000. So far coverage is going to be extended to five severe conditions including chronic cancer pain, nausea associated with chemotherapy and palliative care.
Eight Capital has predicted the international medical cannabis market at C$180 Billion within 10-15 Years.
Sun Life obviously sees medical cannabis coverage as a valuable commodity either in terms of customer retention or customer acquisition.
A significant factor in all of this is that Sun Life is offering coverage without the benefit of a DIN number. DIN stands for drug identification number. A DIN number is awarded to a drug that has successfully gone through clinical testing and been approved by Health Canada in Canada or the Food and Drug Administration in the United States.
Once a drug has a DIN number it can be legally prescribed by doctors and covered under insurance plans. While Canada has been allowing the sale of medical marijuana through licensed growers nobody yet has actually proved that medical marijuana works.
That is about to change. Montreal-based Tetra Bio-Pharma, (TSXV: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) has just received Health Canada approval for the phase 3 clinical trial of a smokable dried cannabis prescription drug. The drug, now known as PPP001, targets chronic pain, as well as pain associated with advanced cancer.
The clinical testing is designed to prove the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis and specifically of PPP001. Tetra Bio-Pharma CEO Bernard Fortier describes it like this: “It will be a landmark trial. It will be a landmark approval. It will be the first smokable cannabis drug that will be approved, as a legitimate drug, to be prescribed by physicians.”
Tetra has a strong development pipeline featuring drugs that treat chronic pain, nausea, insomnia, PTSD, and eye ailments. As CEO Bernard Fortier says, “We are not a one molecule company.”
In late 2017 Tetra launched its first product, the trademarked Rx Princeps, a unique blend of dried medical marijuana used in its ongoing clinical trials for PPP001, a chronic pain treatment for terminal cancer patients. Rx Princeps is available for registered medical marijuana users in Canada through Tetra’s partner and licensed medical cannabis producer Aphria Inc.
Aphria, (TSXV: APH) (USOTC:APHQF) has recently been snapping up other licensed growers in the industry and is Canada’s lowest cost cannabis producer. It has also just signed a deal to become one of the six licensed growers chosen to provide marijuana to Quebec’s Societe des alcohols du Quebec (SAQ), the provincial liquor agency chosen to also distribute marijuana when legalization comes into effect. Aphria will be providing up to 12,000 Kgs of marijuana to Quebec annually.
With six different growers all offering different types of marijuana it would seem fair that Quebec is going to treat marijuana much as it does wine by providing a wide variety of product. Marijuana has come a long way but it still offers an investment opportunity in either producers or drug development companies like Tetra that may not come again.
- Published in Blog, Medical Marijuana, News Home, Tetra Bio Pharma