Israel's push to curb what it considers the dumping of cheap cannabis has intensified, with the country's ministry of economy proposing import levies of as much as 175% on Canadian products.
A ministry report released over the weekend set out acceptable pricing for named Canadian companies, taking into account their level of cooperation with the review process and the prices they charge in their home market.
The proposal follows an investigation launched earlier this year into whether Canadian cannabis was being sold into Israel at artificially low prices, raising concerns about harm to the local industry.
A preliminary report issued in July had suggested tariffs ranging from 63% to 369% depending on the company in question. The latest final report narrows that range considerably, with fees starting at 2% and capped at 175%.
The recommendations still require sign-off from an advisory committee before they can take effect.
Australian companies have been monitoring the Israeli situation with interest, with some calling on the federal government to consider adopting comparable measures domestically.
Neurotech International
Neurotech International has named Dr Anthony Filippis as its incoming managing director and CEO, with his tenure set to begin in February 2025.
Dr Filippis currently holds the role of chief operating officer at ASX-listed Percheron Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company running an active Phase IIb clinical trial targeting Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare paediatric condition.
Drawing on 25 years in the biotech sector, Dr Filippis was described by Neurotech as an "internationally proven senior business leader with a deep understanding and knowledge of the biotech industry and capital markets".
Neurotech chairman Mark Davies added: "Anthony will bring to Neurotech a significant amount of experience across the life sciences sector, with an outstanding track record of partnering success and capital markets expertise.
"We.. look forward to his contribution in… 2025, which is shaping up as an important year of delivery for Neurotech as we accelerate our regulatory development."
Dr Filippis said he was looking forward to working with the Neurotech team and board to progress development of the firm's broad-spectrum cannabinoid drug therapy NTI164 and provide new treatment options for patients.
NZ prescription data
The number of New Zealanders accessing medicinal cannabis doubled over 2023, with men and millennials accounting for a disproportionate share of that growth, according to government figures obtained by The New Zealand Herald.
Since New Zealand's Medicinal Cannabis Scheme began in 2020, patient numbers have climbed from 9,401 in 2021 to 17,416 in 2022, and then to 35,359 in 2023.
Broken down by age, those aged 30 to 39 received the highest number of prescriptions in 2023 at 27,028, followed by the 40 to 49 bracket (21,407), those aged 50 to 59 (17,904), and the 60 to 69 cohort (13,236).
People aged 20 to 29 accounted for 12,713 prescriptions, while those over 70 filled 14,542. Just 1,255 prescriptions went to patients under 20.
In total, just over 108,000 prescriptions were issued during 2023, a 130% jump from the 46,867 recorded the year prior and more than four times the 22,506 issued in 2021.
Male patients saw prescriptions nearly triple, rising from 22,863 in 2022 to 60,232 in 2023, while prescriptions for women doubled from 23,952 to 47,633 over the same period.
The trend toward older patients is consistent with what The Cannabis Clinic has observed among its own client base, which now exceeds 35,000 people accessing care through in-person, telehealth, and assisted telehealth services.
Co-founder and CEO Dr Waseem Alzaher said: "We're seeing a growing interest among seniors, with around 30% of our clients aged 65 and over."
