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Irish manufacturer brings commercial-scale, EU GMP-certified production and reliable supply to medicines produced through the UK’s regulated Specials pathway
Athlone, Ireland — [18 August 2026] — Dunbar Pharmaceuticals (“Dunbar Pharma” or “the Company”), Ireland’s first EU GMP-certified manufacturer of plant-derived cannabinoid active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), today announced that its plant-derived dronabinol API, WaterClear THC™, is now available across the United Kingdom.
Through its agreement with IPS Pharma, a leading UK pharmaceutical service provider and licensed Specials manufacturer, clinicians across the UK can source pharmaceutical-grade, plant-derived dronabinol through an established regulated supply network. In the UK, Specials are unlicensed medicines manufactured or supplied to meet the individual clinical needs of a specific patient where no suitable licensed alternative is available. IPS Pharma produces cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs) available as oral capsules, oral sprays, and oily solution drops.
Dunbar Pharma manufactures its dronabinol API at commercial scale at its EU GMP-certified facility in Athlone, Ireland, under the oversight of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA). Its validated manufacturing process and full batch traceability are designed to provide the consistency and continuity of supply required for regulated pharmaceutical medicines. While dronabinol has historically been produced synthetically, Dunbar Pharma uses a proprietary process based on plant-derived starting materials.
“Making WaterClear THC™, our GMP-certified dronabinol, available through IPS Pharma marks an important milestone in our efforts to broaden access to pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid medicines,” said Leah Fletcher, Founder and CEO of Dunbar Pharma. “Many patients cannot or do not wish to inhale cannabinoid medicines, and they should have access to suitable alternatives. 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.”
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Dunbar Pharma to bring its pharmaceutical-grade, plant-derived dronabinol to the UK through our established Specials service,” said Ian McFarlane, Director Strategic Partnerships at IPS Pharma. “Partnering with an EU GMP-certified manufacturer that shares our commitment to quality and reliability gives us confidence in the supply of regulated cannabinoid medicines. Together, we’re helping improve access to high-quality oral treatment options for clinicians prescribing under the UK’s Specials framework.”
Dunbar Pharma has received support from Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government’s trade and innovation agency, as it expands its manufacturing capabilities and commercial reach into regulated pharmaceutical markets across Europe. The expansion into the UK follows Dunbar Pharma’s entry into Germany earlier this year, where its Irish-manufactured, EU GMP-certified dronabinol API is supplied through major wholesalers into a market where the category that includes dronabinol accounted for more statutory health insurance prescriptions than cannabis flower in 2025.
“Dunbar Pharma is a high potential startup (HPSU) client of Enterprise Ireland, supported through the HPSU Programme in 2025. Welcoming the announcement, Jenny Melia, CEO, Enterprise Ireland said, “Dunbar Pharma’s is an Irish based HPRA regulated and GMP-certified manufacturer of dronabinol API. The distribution and availability of their WaterClear THC™ product in the UK market is a significant achievement and a testament to the company’s ambition, innovation and commitment to individualised patient healthcare. Enterprise Ireland is proud to support indigenous companies like Dunbar as they grow in international markets and strengthen Ireland’s reputation as a source of world-class life sciences innovation.”
The UK launch follows a period of significant growth for Dunbar Pharma, which was recently named Emerging Company of the Year at the 2026 BioPharmaChem Impact Awards, recognising the company’s innovation and leadership in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
WaterClear THC™, the Company’s GMP-certified dronabinol (delta-9-THC), is a chemically defined active pharmaceutical ingredient manufactured to recognised pharmacopoeia standards. Unlike botanical cannabis preparations, WaterClear THC™ enables consistent milligram dosing and has minimal compositional variability, providing healthcare professionals with pharmaceutical-grade precision for individualised prescribing.
CBPMs manufactured with WaterClear THC™ are supplied in 5 mg and 10 mg capsules, a 25 mg/mL oral dose spray, and a 25 mg/mL oily dropper solution. These may be prescribed where clinically appropriate under the UK’s Specials framework for patients requiring individualised treatment.
Through IPS Pharma’s established Specials distribution network, clinicians and pharmacies across the UK can now access these dronabinol-based medicines through a trusted pharmaceutical supply partner, ensuring dependable availability while maintaining regulatory and quality compliance throughout the supply chain.
About Dunbar Pharmaceuticals
Dunbar Pharmaceuticals (Mercury Rising Ltd.) is a privately owned Irish pharmaceutical manufacturer and Ireland’s first EU GMP manufacturer of plant-derived cannabinoid active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Based in Athlone, Ireland, the company manufactures difficult-to-make, pharmaceutical-grade APIs, including plant-derived dronabinol, to recognised pharmacopoeia standards for regulated pharmaceutical markets, including Germany and the UK.
Built from the ground up as a pharmaceutical manufacturer on Ireland’s world-class pharma platform, Dunbar Pharma operates under the oversight of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), with validated processes and full batch traceability supporting dependable supply to licensed partners across Europe.
Dunbar Pharma was founded on a simple observation: medical use of cannabinoids was growing worldwide, but the pharmaceutical infrastructure behind it had not kept pace. The company is closing that gap, building Europe’s pharmaceutical infrastructure for plant-derived cannabinoid medicines by combining EU GMP manufacturing, pharmaceutical quality standards and reliable supply for healthcare partners and patients. The company has been recognised for its growth and innovation, including Emerging Company of the Year at the BioPharmaChem Impact Awards 2026, Product & Manufacturing Start-Up of the Year at the National Start-Up Awards 2025, and the Ambition & Growth Award at the Local Enterprise Office Awards 2026. Keep up to date on activity from Dunbar Pharma on LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Nicole Farah Americana Communications Ltd. pr@dunbarpharma.ie
