AURORA CANNABIS HEADING SOUTH TO MEXICO Edmonton-headquartered pot producer, Aurora Cannabis reports that it will supply medical cannabis to Mexico through a partnership with pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor Farmacias Magistrales with approximately 80,000 retail points, and 500 pharmacies and hospitals across Mexico. Farmacias recently got the green light to import cannabis, which Aurora says is the first and only import license granted by federal Mexican authorities to date. Farmacias has also received licences from Mexico’s Federal Commission for Pro- tection Against Health Risks to manufacture and distribute products with CBD and THC.
RAPID GROWTH EXPECTED FOR SPINAL-CORD STIMULATORS Few medical devices hold as much potential for rapid growth as spinal-cord stimulators, especially in North America where they are being promoted as the answer to the on going opioid epidemic. According to Nevro, a company that manufactures the devices, the global market for spinal-cord stimulators has grown from $300 million in 2001 to nearly $2 billion in 2017 and some predicting that the market for these devices could approach $20 billion in a short period. The U.S. is by far the biggest market for the stimulators. Medicare, major insurance carriers and a majority of states’ worker compensation programs cover implantation of the devices. Like opioids, spinal-cord stimulators mask pain, but that’s where the similarities end. The stimulators use electrical currents to block pain signals before they reach the brain. Pain medications, such as OxyContin and Percocet, instead change brain chemistry and are highly addictive. With physicians facing increasing criticism for writing narcotic prescriptions, the top four spinal-cord stimulators manufacturers; Abbott, Boston Scientific Corp., Medtronic, and Nevro have reached out to powerful allies in Congress to try to ensure these devices are available to combat the opioid crisis, which will drive future sales for their devices.
131 DECEMBER 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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