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This Top Health-Tech Executive joins the CBD Pharma Industry and Boosts Shareholder Confidence Since its founding in 2018, InnoCan Pharma has been capturing headlines with its research and development of smart delivery platforms and leading advisory team. Last year, InnoCan added Peter Bloch, one of the industry's foremost health-tech executives

By Josh Horowitz

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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Josh Horowitz

As thousands of "penny stocks" (stocks valued at less than $5) are listed on international stock exchanges around the world – unfortunately, most of them will ultimately fail. In other words, for investors researching which rising penny stock companies could become the next big industry leader and multiply the value of their investment, there are three vital indicators. The company must have an experienced management team, compelling research and development, and most importantly the potential to transform an entire industry with the addition of healthtech executive Peter Bloch, InnoCan Pharma is three for three.

Established in 2018, InnoCan Pharma is a Canadian-Israeli biotech company founded in an effort to develop better smart delivery platforms with CBD-loaded combinations for those suffering from epilepsy to lung cell damage. During the year of the coronavirus pandemic, InnoCan and its scientific team continued to produce its Liposome Platform Technology (LPT) and CBD Loaded Exosome (CLX) Therapy, which have one common denominator – the infusion of cannabinoids (CBD) via a patent-pending delivery system. In order to elevate the company and its unique products to the broadest and foremost financial markets, the company encompasses some of Israel's leading pharmaceutical entrepreneurs. Currently, InnoCan's Advisory Board contains members like Executive Director Ron Mayron of Teva Israel (NYSE: TEVA), Yoram Drucker, founder of Pluristem (PSTI) and Brainstorm (BCLI), and most recently former Johnson & Johnson Vice President ofCorporate Development & FDA Counsel Richard Serbin, in addition to experienced healthcare executive Iris Bincovich as Chief Executive Officer.

In January 2020, InnoCan Pharma added Peter Bloch, a leading pharmaceutical executive for healthcare and technology companies with over 25 years of industry leadership. Bloch is the CEO of the Canadian start-up BresoTec Inc., a company developing and commercializing medical devices as well as accurate diagnosis treatment technologies for sleep disorders. BresoTec's first product, BresoDx, is a cordless, battery[1]powered device that records sound and movement to assist in the diagnosis of sleep apnea. The start-up was founded by Canada's University Health Network (UNH) and a non-profit Toronto incubator called MaRS Innovation, which is working on behalf of fourteen of the city's universities, hospitals, and research institutions. He equally serves as a member of the Dean's Advisory Board at the Ryerson University Ted Rogers School of Management.

Prior to his tenure at Bresotec, Bloch served as CEO and Chairman of Bionik Laboratories (OTCQB: BNKL), a listed American healthcare company working around the world to increase the quality of life of those with movement dysfunction and other motor impairments through robotic rehabilitation. From 2016 to 2018, his management of Bionik focused on scaling the developing company from the initial stages of constructing its assisted mobility device to accomplishing a capstone market valuation of over $100 million dollars. As CEO, Bloch also implemented his blueprint strategy to achieve augmented financial backing, in addition to gaining commercial approvals from American regulators. As InnoCan prepares to facilitate testing for its CBD research in order to initiate further industry recognition and investment, Bloch's experience in early-stage biotech development and background in pharma-tech will be vital in upcoming experimental trials.

During his time as CEO and Chairman of Bionik, Bloch shaped the company's cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)'s New Laboratory for Biomechanics and Human Rehabilitation. Bloch's leadership was fundamental to the $26 million dollar acquisition of Interactive Motion Technologies, which positioned Bionik to collaborate with one of the world's leading university institutions, in addition to gaining an FDA-approved production facility. In conjunction, Bionik and MIT are directly working to develop three different "InMotion Robots" to improve the prospects for recovery and development for patients following a stroke or other neurological conditions. As an integral member of the InnoCan Advisory Board, Peter Bloch's background in pharma-tech R&D ventures has accompanied the development of Innocan's therapeutic products.

Since its inception, one of InnoCan's most substantial assets has been its strategic partnerships with some of Israel's prestigious universities and associated laboratories, including Tel Aviv University and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Together with these elite research institutions, the collaboration is researching liposome and exosome-based technology by developing several drug delivery systems that improve the bioavailability of CBD into the bloodstream. During the coronavirus crisis, the company's cooperation with Ramot Lab at Tel Aviv University, to develop a revolutionary cell therapy technology, based on exosome-loaded with CBD, designed to target infected organs such as lung cells and the central nervous system (CNS).

This year, InnoCan applied Bloch's extensive experience in innovative pharmaceutical development, which is considered a crucial component for the company's current expansion efforts. In order to maintain the company's branding as a promising young enterprise operating in several distinctive realms of the biotech world, InnoCan's Scientific Team has continued to test its effective results from earlier animal testing to expand its patent portfolio. With the imperative advice of advisory board members like Peter Bloch, the company is developing new pathways to further expand its research into other areas of pharmaceutical development.

In March, InnoCan announced its new CBD-based anti-itch spray to treat insect bites, cuts, rashes, and various allergens – increasing its pharmaceutical reputation and market clout. This month, the company demonstrated the strengthening of its liposome platform technology via a seven-week animal trial. InnoCan's goal was to transform the CBD industry by prolonging the ability of cannabinoids to stay in the bloodstream. Generally, while CBDs can merely endure a few hours to one day in the body when taken orally (due to CBDs being fat-soluble instead of water-soluble), though when paired with InnoCan's LPT smart delivery system the treatment can be administered twice and maintained for almost two months.

Now that Bloch has served as a key advisor to InnoCan for over a year, the company's market standing has advanced several stages in its commercialization plan. This year, the company obtained essential regulatory approvals, a major milestone in its quest to distribute its products in the European Union and the United Kingdom. In France, the company has already signed with distributor Polyflame Europe, a prominent European pharmaceutical brand capable of spreading InnoCan's European "SHIR" branding to vast and strategic populations across the continent. In the United States and Canada, the company will be distinguished as "Synony" for its Relief & Go CBD Spray, hemp skin serums, and alternative restoratives.

Today, InnoCan is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: INNO), Frankfurt Stock Exchange in Germany (FSE: IP4), and the American-based OTC Venture Market (OTCQB: INNPF); in June 2020, the company's IPO issued over 28.4 million shares at CAD $0.18 – worth over $5.1 million Canadian dollars ($4.1m USD).

While InnoCan Pharma is currently considered a "penny stock," the company is determined to gain comprehensive monetary backing from across the industry. As InnoCan continues to develop innovative and beneficial smart delivery platforms, in addition to its liposome and exosome-based technological platforms, it will rely more and more onthe strength of its preeminent advisory board and exclusive partnerships with some of Israel's high-profile research institutions. Already, after one year of the strategic addition of Peter Bloch, InnoCan is persisting to propel the company's executive depth and business pedigree, especially as the company moves towards expanding its pharmaceutical efforts.

Although many investors test their luck on young start-ups, they should test their luck on the company with an unrivaled background and premier potential. InnoCan Pharma, which contains an elite research and development partnership, quality medicinal products, and a proven management team, has bestowed itself with several advantages that competing start-ups ultimately lack.

Josh Horowitz

VC Investor. Passionate about Cybersecurity, BioTech & Cannabis

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