Key Takeaways

  • Artelo Biosciences has partnered with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust to study its synthetic cannabinoid ART27.13 for glaucoma and ocular hypertension

  • ART27.13 targets peripheral cannabinoid receptors, aiming to reduce IOP without the psychotropic side effects seen with traditional cannabinoids

  • The trial is fully approved, funded, and expected to begin patient enrollment in Q2 2026

Artelo Biosciences announced a new collaboration with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) to investigate a potential treatment for glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

The companies have entered into a definitive investigator-initiated study agreement to evaluate ART27.13, Artelo’s peripherally selective synthetic cannabinoid, in patients with elevated IOP. The study is being supported by funding from Glaucoma UK and the Health and Social Care (HSC) Research & Development Division.

ART27.13 represents a novel approach by targeting cannabinoid receptors located outside the central nervous system, including those in ocular tissues. Preclinical findings suggest that activating these peripheral receptors may help regulate IOP by improving aqueous humor dynamics and enhancing ocular blood outflow.

The clinical trial, titled “A Pilot, Randomized, Cross-Over Study to Determine the Effects of an Oral, Peripherally Selective, Synthetic Cannabinoid ART27.13 on Intraocular Pressure,” will be sponsored by BHSCT and conducted through the Northern Ireland Clinical Trials Unit. The study will be led by Professor Augusto Azuara-Blanco, a globally recognized glaucoma expert and Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Queen’s University Belfast.

Artelo will supply ART27.13 in oral capsule form as the investigational medicinal product. The study has received approval from both the ethics committee and the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), with patient enrollment expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026.

“There remains an urgent need for safe, well-tolerated, and effective new treatments for glaucoma,” said Professor Azuara-Blanco. “The potential role of peripherally selective cannabinoids in ocular health is an exciting and largely unexplored area. This study will provide important insights into whether ART27.13 can safely lower intraocular pressure without psychotropic side effects.”

“This investigator-initiated study represents an important step in expanding ART27.13’s therapeutic potential beyond its lead indication in cancer-related anorexia,” said Greg D. Gorgas, President and CEO of Artelo Biosciences. “By focusing on peripheral receptor activity, we may overcome the limitations that have historically restricted cannabinoid use in ophthalmology.”