LONDON, March 4, 2026 — Ananda Pharma, a UK-based biopharmaceutical company that develops regulatory approved cannabidiol medicines for treating complex, chronic conditions, is glad to announce that NHS Health Research Authority (HRA) and MHRA approval have been obtained for the ENDOCAN Phase 2 clinical trial which examines the safety and efficacy of its proprietary MRX1 CBD oral solution for managing endometriosis-associated pain.

The Phase 2 trial, with Dr Lucy Whitaker as the Principal Investigator, Prof Andrew Horne and Prof Phillipa Saunders of The University of Edinburgh leading it and funded by the Chief Scientist Office, is a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of MRX1 CBD oral solution in alleviating pain and enhancing the quality of life for women with endometriosis. The study will randomly assign up to 100 women diagnosed with endometriosis over a 12-week treatment period. The trial will be carried out through NHS Lothian and NHS Grampian in Scotland.

Endometriosis is a chronic condition affecting approximately 190 million women. It is characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus (‘lesions’), commonly within the pelvis. Endometriosis costs the UK approximately £8.2 billion per year in NHS costs and lost income. The cost of endometriosis in the US is estimated to be more than $100 billion per year when considering treatment, lost productivity, and broader family and societal costs. Current treatment options include surgical excision of the lesions, treatment with hormone-suppressing drugs, various analgesics, and antidepressants. These treatments are often ineffective and have harmful side effects. Symptoms recur within five years following surgery in 40 – 50% of women. There is an urgent unmet need for new medical treatments for endometriosis, and optimal treatment for endometriosis was a key strategic priority of the 2021 Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.

The dosing in this trial will reach as high as 12.5mg/kg/day of CBD, which for a 70kg woman would be 875mg of CBD per day. For comparison, the UK Food Standards Authority recommends a maximum daily dose of 10mg per person, and other clinical trials investigating CBD for treating endometriosis pain considered much lower doses. It is important to note that MRX1 CBD oral solution is effectively THC-free, meaning it can be dosed at high levels without concerns of intoxication.

Approval from the MHRA and HRA Ethics Committee is a crucial regulatory milestone, enabling the trial to move forward to patient recruitment and site initiation activities. Further updates will be provided as the study progresses.

Ananda’s CEO, Melissa Sturgess commented: “The personal and societal burden of endometriosis is staggering, and it is appalling that more isn’t being done to find useful treatments for this debilitating condition. We are determined to be part of finding a solution to this area of extreme unmet need in women’s health.

Many women use CBD to help manage their endometriosis pain symptoms: we need to know how much CBD is required, in a standardized regulatory approved solution, to enable prescribing by a specialist as part of a woman’s healthcare plan. We also need this treatment to be cost-effective and accessible to every woman who needs it.

We are honored to be working with global endometriosis key opinion leaders at The University of Edinburgh, and I am extremely proud of our small but mighty team which now has 3 in-human clinical trials to its credit.“

About Ananda Pharma

Ananda Pharma is a UK-based biopharmaceutical company that supplies its cannabidiol formulation, MRX1, to two Phase 2 clinical trials, The ENDOCAN trial, MRX1 for endometriosis pain (funded by NHS Scotland) and the ACTION trial MRX1 for CIPN (chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy) (funded by an NIHR EME grant). The Company is led by successful entrepreneurs and is collaborating with a team of world-class scientists, including globally respected Key Opinion Leaders at the University of Edinburgh.

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