Ananda Pharma dosed its first patient for the ACTiON study, a phase 2 NIHR funded trial evaluating MRX1, a company-proprietary CBD-based orally administered solution. The study is assessing MRX1 as a potential treatment for chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy, a condition that causes debilitating damage to nerves caused by chemotherapy, for which there are currently no effective treatments.
CIPN which, according to Seretny et al. This systematic review of 2014 affects More than 67% The hands and legs of those receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy can be affected by tingling and persistent pain. This is often felt long after the chemotherapy has ended.
The severity of this disease often causes oncologists reduce or discontinue chemotherapy doses mid-treatment. This is a dilemma which can result in an increased risk of mortality or prolong the duration of treatment.
The ACTiON study, led by Professor Marie Fallon at the University of Edinburgh, was awarded an Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) grant, a non-dilutive award that carries independent scientific scrutiny before approval, by the NIHR.
Ananda produced the MRX1 product investigational in 2025. It was delivered to University of Edinburgh Central Pharmacy on 6th June 2026. The first patient received dosing within a week.
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MRX1 contains CBD and has a formulation that’s patent-pending. Ananda has completed a Phase 1 pharmacokinetic study of MRX1 this year. The trial confirmed a good safety profile among 20 participants, and supported the progression to Phase 2.
The ACTiON trial and the ENDOCAN trial, a parallel Phase 2 study evaluating MRX1 in endometriosis-associated pain, now run concurrently, giving Ananda two active late-stage clinical programmes in distinct pain indications.
Melissa Sturgess said, “We’re delighted that the first patient has been dosed using the MRX1 formula we have patented,” Chief Executive Officer Melissa Sturgess of Ananda Pharma. We are proud to be a part of this gold-standard work.
Ananda’s ACTiON achievement continues a pivot that it accelerated in the past year, when they exited a NIHR funded epilepsy study and withdrew their stock from the public market to focus on MRX1’s pain pipeline.
Now that both ACTiON AND ENDOCAN have been launched, the company is in a good position to receive Phase 2 results from these two indications within a short timeframe.
NIHR funding has a greater impact in the UK than its financial value. This agency’s involvement indicates that the research question is scientifically valid and warranted.