Pascal Biosciences Inc. was the first to report cannabinoids can kill SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Pascal filed an international patent covering this work prior to the press release in July 2020, and now it is clear that Pascal was the first to file to protect this discovery. This means that Pascal holds the rights to therapeutic treatment of Covid-19 by cannabinoids, particularly CBD.

Pascal scientists have replicated this work in four different antiviral assays and have also shown that CBD has an antiviral activity similar to remdesivir, a Gilead Sciences drug approved for treatment of Covid-19. Furthermore, Pascal's discovery has been confirmed and extended by several academic groups. A lab at the University of Chicago has recently shown that CBD suppressed infection in mice, and also that epilepsy patients treated with CBD have significantly lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection than matched patients.

A separate academic study suggests that CBD viral blockade is not variant specific, so CBD treatment should be beneficial as the virus mutates during the pandemic. There are currently at least four clinical trials testing CBD in Covid-19 patients. While Pascal is not involved in those studies, the rights to treat patients would be covered by Pascal's patent if CBD is approved by regulatory officials.

After 18 months, patent submissions become public information. The absence of other patents predating Pascal's submission date confirm that Pascal was the first to file and protect this discovery.