Monksland pharma firm brings first cannabinoid medical ingredient to UK market

Monksland pharmaceutical company Dunbar Pharma has brought the first plant-derived dronabinol active pharmaceutical ingredient to UK market.

The Athlone-based firm is Ireland’s first EU GMP-certified manufacturer of plant-derived cannabinoid active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

The company has partnered with IPS Pharma, a UK pharmaceutical service provider and licensed Specials manufacturer, to make its WaterClear THC™ dronabinol available to clinicians and pharmacies across the UK.

Dronabinol is a pharmaceutical form of delta-9-THC, the primary psychoactive chemical found in the cannabis plant. Under the UK’s regulated “Specials” system, medicines can be supplied for individual patients where there is no suitable licensed alternative.

Dunbar Pharma produces the ingredient at commercial scale at its EU GMP-certified facility in Athlone, under the oversight of the Health Products Regulatory Authority.

The company says its manufacturing process is designed to provide consistent quality, full batch traceability and a reliable supply for pharmaceutical medicines.

Founder and CEO Leah Fletcher said the UK launch was an important milestone for the company.

“Many patients cannot or do not wish to inhale cannabinoid medicines, and they should have access to suitable alternatives,” she said.

"By manufacturing at commercial scale in Ireland to EU GMP standards, we can provide partners such as IPS Pharma with a consistent, reliable supply of dronabinol for oral formulations.

"This is how cannabinoid therapy becomes an accepted part of medicine rather than a category apart.”

The partnership with IPS Pharma will allow dronabinol-based medicines to be supplied in oral formats, including capsules, oral sprays and oily drops.

The UK expansion follows Dunbar Pharma’s entry into Germany earlier this year. The company has also received support from Enterprise Ireland through its High Potential Start-Up programme.

Enterprise Ireland CEO Jenny Melia said the UK launch was a “significant achievement” and praised Dunbar Pharma’s ambition and innovation.

The company was recently named Emerging Company of the Year at the 2026 BioPharmaChem Impact Awards.

Dunbar Pharma said the UK launch represents further growth for the Athlone-based business as it expands into regulated pharmaceutical markets across Europe.