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Broughton expands experience from nicotine into cannabinoids

Home » Broughton expands experience from nicotine into cannabinoids

UK-based Broughton Group is leveraging its extensive experience in nicotine replacement therapies and analytical testing to support the development of cannabinoid delivery devices. 

Established in 2006, contract research organisation Broughton is working to develop its position as a full-service solutions provider to the global life sciences sector. With extensive experience in next-generation nicotine delivery products, the company succeeded in developing one of the first devices approved for nicotine replacement therapy.

Broughton’s services cover product development, scientific and regulatory consultancy and laboratory services across the pharmaceutical, nicotine and cannabinoid industries.

Read more: Broughton expands into North America for next phase of growth

Its nicotine product experience covers electronic nicotine delivery systems, modern oral nicotine pouches, heated tobacco products (HTPs), nicotine replacement therapy and synthetic nicotine. The company has been applying its knowledge to the cannabis device market, which is expected to reach US$26.52bn (~£22.41bn) by 2031, according to Transparency Market Research.

Broughton CEO, Chris Allen, who has been working in the medical device industry for 25 years, shared the company’s journey from its inception to its move into cannabinoids, where it will apply its knowledge of regulations to develop safe and effective devices. 

The journey into cannabinoids

Chemistry graduate Allen has been heavily involved in analytical and regulatory science throughout his career. Early on, he worked in respiratory medicines at Melbourne Scientific, now part of Intertek, where he began working on drug registration programmes through inhalation.

After moving location, Allen began working at a company that focused on animal feed testing, where he met Broughton co-founder Paul Moran. The pair succeeded in obtaining GMP accreditation for the company’s testing facility and within two years, doubled the turnover of the business. 

Read more: Structure change to drive the growth of Broughton

In 2006, Allen and Moran decided to establish Broughton together, beginning the business by focusing on animal health products. By 2011 Broughton moved into nicotine replacement therapies and supported the securement of the first licensed medicinal product for electronic cigarettes.

This move led Broughton into different regulations for tobacco harm reduction products, where the company saw the most significant growth. 

Allen commented: “Broughton has the ability to be able to interpret different regulations from around the world and bring that sound science and pragmatic view to adhering to those regulations.

“The heartbeat of the businesses is analytical testing, but being able to complement that with the consultancy business. So, bringing in project managers, toxicologists, scientific consultants, clinical experience and behavioural experience – to be able to provide that full package – it was always more than just data for us.

“It’s about what that data actually means – what are you trying to prove, and therefore, how do we design the study? When you get the data – what should you be doing next? 

“It’s about the ability to start looking at how we can apply those services, those learnings, into other markets, and that has now brought into the cannabis industry.”

Chris Allen, CEO, Broughton

Safe and effective cannabinoid delivery

Broughton has spent the last two years unpicking the right markets to work in from a global perspective. With a growing customer base in North America, the business is establishing a US Subsidiary with the aim of building its presence in the region. 

Allen commented: “Going into the US is very state by state at the moment if you’re not in recreational. So, our real focus now is inhalation because we have a lot of the consultants here, myself included, and a lot of the analytical facilities focused on inhalation products. 

“That’s been through the electronic cigarettes but also inhaled pharmaceuticals. Looking at cannabinoids, the historical way of consuming those has been through inhalation. 

“We always look for the safest way to deliver drugs – the most effective way – but the safest possible way as well. And that’s always avoiding combustion. So, as we look to inhalation products.

“We look at how we can work with companies to design the right products, demonstrate the right level of safety from an efficacy perspective, but also from a perception and behavioural.”

In this regard, Allen notes that a lot of nicotine replacement therapies do not work because they do not mimic the action of smoking and this same principle applies to the consumption of cannabinoids.

Broughton has also been looking heavily at the UK’s Novel Foods process which has raised a lot of confusion in the industry. Allen says, the company has seen many businesses making mistakes with Novel Foods. Allen highlights that the cannabis industry is fragmented from a regulatory perspective, which is no different from the nicotine industry that has very localised regulations.

“We have been looking at those regulations – what’s right about them, what’s wrong, how to apply them, and how to go and support companies through that process,” said Allen.

Allen emphasises that the cannabinoid industry can learn a lot from the nicotine industry, which, in the early days of nicotine vaporisers saw many products focused on flavours and branding, fuelling a negative perception of the products.

“Don’t make ridiculous claims about cannabinoids – you have to be able to back those up,” said Allen. “If companies start to work from day one responsibly, it’s only going to help the industry. Self-regulate as much as possible.”

Broughton is launching its cannabinoids services, where it is looking to help those companies that have been let down by providers.

“It is about bringing a degree of pragmatism, sound science, good consultancy, and applying the right studies to support those companies that are looking to take products through the Novel Foods process,” said Allen.

“We’re hearing some horrendous stories coming out of poorly thought out studies and poor quality testing that’s been conducted.

“It is about bringing our experience into this industry to try and bring control, and also to try and change public perception as well. The commonality of a lot of the products that we’re starting to look at is actives that potentially have been around for a very long time, but the perception isn’t right. 

“They have a lot of therapeutic benefits, but they also have a stigma attached to them. It’s a passion point of the company to see what new products can we help bring to market and change that public and healthcare perception of some of these drugs.”

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