Unique cannabis inhaler gives Israeli patients a new lease on life

Syqe, a Tel Aviv-based med-tech start-up, has developed a revolutionary solution for people suffering from chronic diseases, post-trauma stress disorder (PTSD), and other ailments, giving them a new lease on life. It is the only company authorized by the Defense Ministry and National Insurance Institute to provide treatment to disabled and other patients in need at no cost.

It’s well known that cannabis can be an effective remedy for pain – but, of course, there can also be side effects, such as addiction. Not only that, but it’s difficult for consumers to be certain that the product they’re getting is pure, safe, and high-quality.

The SyqeAir Inhaler, a single-patient, portable, hand-held, battery-operated device, features technology that precisely regulates the user’s intake of cannabis. An app connects to it, registering all the data and providing precise tracking of the patient’s status. For the first time ever, each patient receives personalized treatment as prescribed by his or her physician.

It “enables fast reduction of the intensity of chronic neuropathic pain and improvement in sleep quality with minimum psychoactive adverse effects,” the website explains.

“We believe it is our responsibility to reduce the amount of pain and suffering in the world and are determined to find the medical, safe, effective, consistent, and most convenient way to use medical cannabis for treatment. The SyqeAir Inhaler sets a new medical standard: metered medical cannabis treatment through inhalation, supported by clinical trials that prove its efficacy and safety,” the company, founded by Perry Davidson, said in a statement.

A personal guidance and support program includes setting personal reminders for inhalation times and doses, according to the treatment plan; setting reminders for license renewal; ordering cartridges directly from the pharmacies; managing the user’s personal treatment; and a usage diary for automatic documentation of actual inhalations.

Furthermore, remote technical support includes automatic inhaler updates for regular maintenance, as well as direct contact with the support center for assistance and troubleshooting.

Since its establishment in 2011, Syqe has been involved in the research and development of medical cannabis treatments. The company conducted several clinical studies at Haifa’s Rambam Hospital, the results of which were published in leading scientific journals.

Syqe began selling the inhaler in 2019

Cannabis was used for textiles, food, and medicine in ancient China and India. Ironically, both medical and recreational use of cannabis are now illegal in those countries, as noted by SyqeAir division CEO Hagit Kamin in an interview with the Magazine. Cannabis reached Europe in the Middle Ages, after being introduced to the Middle East and Africa.

Known for its medicinal benefits, cannabis became popular in the 19th century but was banned in the 20th century due to campaigns about potential health risks and economic pressure. However, in the 1960s, Prof. Raphael Mechoulam, a Bulgarian-born Israeli organic chemist, known as “the godfather of cannabis research,” examined the plant and its molecules, and discovered its benefits in the management and treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. In recent decades, there has been increased legislation and research into the plant’s therapeutic potential.

Treating PTSD

THE MAGAZINE met recently with SyqeAir CEO Kamin; Dr. Eytan Hyam, executive medical chairman of Syqe and former director-general of Israel’s Health Ministry; and others at the company’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, where they discussed some of the challenges the company has faced while navigating the market.

“The medical establishment has largely concluded that cannabis is perhaps the best treatment for people with PTSD,” Hyam said. “One problem, however, is that people often go over the required amount, roll a joint every now and then, and consume too much, which can cause side effects. The unique Syqe inhaler comes with capsules that are loaded into the inhaler, and it’s impossible to consume more cannabis than what the doctor prescribed. The device also tracks the amount of cannabis consumed.

“The doctors have a problem,” Hyam continued. “Most of them believe in cannabis, but only 4% prescribe cannabis. Why is that? Cannabis is not a medication. If I, as a doctor, give a patient Optalgin, I prescribe 500 mg. I don’t know how much will enter the bloodstream, but I have confidence that it was checked out. I can’t do that with cannabis. Some individuals take a stronger puff, while others take a weaker one, and the concentration in the blood varies significantly among them.

“Therefore, very few doctors will prescribe it, although most of them believe that it’s beneficial,” he said. “They just don’t know how to deal with it. Also, many worry that if people from the underworld hear that a certain doctor prescribes cannabis, they’ll go to him or her, and they don’t want to get involved in this.”

“There are many strains,” Kamin explained. “Today, in most parts of the world, there are blends.” Also, what strain is chosen depends on where they grow. “For instance, in some places, the sun could be stronger, as well as other issues that affect the crops. The strength of the product’s active ingredients could differ. So, it needs to be standardized.”

One issue worldwide is that 81% of those who use medical cannabis will experience adverse effects because 90% of them smoke it, Kamin said. Many of them had never smoked, so they could begin coughing. Others had never smoked cannabis, and they could experience dizziness because the amount they get for the first time is too much. It’s like the difference between giving a person a drop of vodka or a glass of vodka; it depends on what the body is used to.

Among Israelis today, 21% are smokers of tobacco, Kamin said. However, 90% of medical cannabis license holders (130,000 people) choose to consume it by smoking rather than using oils, and some of them mix it with tobacco, which is unhealthy and could result in addiction, she said. “So, you can see it’s a problem.”

HOW DOES Syqe help the situation? “First, we buy the materials from Holland from a company called Bedrocan, the only company in the world that can supply standardized medicinal cannabis. It’s a company that has no interest in recreational cannabis,” Kamin stressed. “Furthermore, we don’t buy it directly from them but from the Dutch Health Ministry; it’s grown in ‘clean rooms.’”

According to SyqeAir’s CEO, most people prefer smoking over consuming oils because the effects, such as pain relief, are almost immediate – within 5-10 minutes – and can last up to four hours. With oils, it could take a couple of hours, and sometimes it’s difficult to digest. One advantage of SyqeAir is that the relief comes within five minutes, without the need to smoke. And when you use Syqe’s inhaler, you don’t get high.

ISRAEL ALLOCATES NIS 200 million ($54 m.) annually for medical cannabis, primarily for veterans of the IDF and security agencies such as the Mossad and Shin Bet who sustained injuries during their service, as well as those suffering from work-related injuries. The Defense Ministry subsidizes the former, while the National Insurance Institute (Bituah Leumi) subsidizes the latter.

The distribution is as follows: NIS 112 million for work-related injuries; NIS 80 m. for the Defense Ministry; and NIS 8 m. for victims of hostilities.

In 2022, some 5,000 individuals under the Defense Ministry’s care were using medical cannabis. Currently, it is estimated that this number has risen to 7,000. The increase is attributed to events such as the Oct. 7 massacre and the ongoing war.

Cannabis “isn’t provided in the regular health basket because for a medication to be included, it must be recognized as such in Israel,” Hyam said. “Cannabis is not yet recognized as medicine.”

In this regard, “we’re very proud of the agreement we signed recently with the Defense Ministry and Bituah Leumi for wounded IDF soldiers who should be getting medical cannabis,” Kamin said. “We’re also proud that this is an Israeli technology.”

She explained how the system has been working until now: “If you get 30 grams from a pharmacy, you pay NIS 1,000, bring the receipts to the Defense Ministry, and wait about two months for reimbursement. Or you might not get it because it’s very difficult for people with PTSD to organize their lives; they get up late, have trouble dealing with bureaucracy, and are very suspicious,” Kamin said.

“However, the Defense Ministry and Bituah Leumi understand that Syqe is the best and the most medical solution, and they signed an agreement that wounded defense veterans do not need to pay for Syqe; they get a referral and pay nothing,” SyqeAir’s CEO said. “They also understand that it’s impossible to take this cannabis in little bags and sell it on the black market. It’s sealed; you can’t open it, and the amount is very small. The amount one inhales in a day with a cigarette is more than you get with Syqe in a month.”

The dose from SyqeAir is sufficient for the patient, she said, because people who smoke cannabis tend to smoke much more than necessary. “This entire country – in fact, the whole world – is in overdose.”

First and foremost, Syqe is a medical company, she stressed. “Its mission is to help people.”

The company has 124 employees in Israel and global partners in Malta and Australia. It is due to expand to Europe very soon and is in negotiations with other countries worldwide.

IDF VETERAN Eyal Reinich developed severe orthopedic injuries while serving in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. For 25 years he suffered from chronic neuropathic pain and PTSD. Feeling “imprisoned” within himself, he was unable to function or live a normal life; traditional medicine and painkillers were insufficient.

“I knew I would live with the pain forever, but I didn’t know how to contain it,” he explained in a video. When the doctors advised using cannabis, “I categorically refused because of my prejudice about the psychoactive effects. I didn’t want to be stoned. I wanted to be in full control of myself and to better contain the pain without any psychoactive effects.”

One doctor suggested Syqe, and “it was a ray of light. What I felt was a large injection of serenity, tranquility, calm, and concentration. I’ve never been, at least in my recent history that I recall, that concentrated and that calm together. It also helps me to put the pain a little bit out of my mind and out of my body for a while – for a long while,” he said.

“It’s very handy and very discreet. I take it with me wherever I go, and I inhale whenever I need to,” Reinich said. “The SyqeAir inhaler completely improved my quality of life; completely changed it – radically.” ■

For more information, visit https://syqe.com/