Cannabis/Psychedelic 8 Larry Minikes Cannabis/Psychedelic 8 Larry Minikes

Cannabidiol is a powerful new antibiotic

June 23, 2019

Science Daily/American Society for Microbiology

New research has found that Cannnabidiol is active against Gram-positive bacteria, including those responsible for many serious infections (such as Staphyloccocus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae), with potency similar to that of established antibiotics such as vancomycin or daptomycin. The research is presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

 

Cannabidiol, the main non-psychoactive chemical compound extracted from cannabis and hemp plants, has been approved by FDA for the treatment of a form of epilepsy, and is being investigated for a number of other medical conditions, including, anxiety, pain and inflammation. While there is limited data to suggest Cannabidiol can kill bacteria, the drug has not been thoroughly investigated for its potential as an antibiotic.

 

Work led by Dr Mark Blaskovich at The University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience's Centre for Superbug Solutions, in collaboration with Botanix Pharmaceuticals Ltd, an early stage drug discovery company investigating topical uses of synthetic cannabidiol for a range of skin conditions, found that Cannabidiol was remarkably effective at killing a wide range of Gram-positive bacteria, including bacteria that have become resistant to other antibiotics, and did not lose effectiveness after extended treatment.

 

"Given cannabidiol's documented anti-inflammatory effects, existing safety data in humans, and potential for varied delivery routes, it is a promising new antibiotic worth further investigation," said Dr. Blaskovich. "The combination of inherent antimicrobial activity and potential to reduce damage caused by the inflammatory response to infections is particularly attractive."

 

Importantly, the drug retained its activity against bacteria that have become highly resistant to other common antibiotics. Under extended exposure conditions that lead to resistance against vancomycin or daptomycin, Cannabidiol did not lose effectiveness. Cannabidiol was also effective at disrupting biofilms, a physical form of bacteria growth that leads to difficult-to-treat infections.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190623143055.htm

Read More
Cannabis/PsychedelicTeen2 Larry Minikes Cannabis/PsychedelicTeen2 Larry Minikes

Synthetic version of CBD treats seizures in rats

May 28, 2019

Science Daily/University of California - Davis

A synthetic, non-intoxicating analogue of cannabidiol (CBD) is effective in treating seizures in rats, according to research by chemists at the University of California, Davis.

 

The synthetic CBD alternative is easier to purify than a plant extract, eliminates the need to use agricultural land for hemp cultivation, and could avoid legal complications with cannabis-related products. The work was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

 

"It's a much safer drug than CBD, with no abuse potential and doesn't require the cultivation of hemp," said Mark Mascal, professor in the UC Davis Department of Chemistry. Mascal's laboratory at UC Davis carried out the work in collaboration with researchers at the University of Reading, U.K.

 

Products containing CBD have recently become popular for their supposed health effects and because the compound does not cause a high. CBD is also being investigated as a pharmaceutical compound for conditions including anxiety, epilepsy, glaucoma and arthritis. But because it comes from extracts of cannabis or hemp plants, CBD poses legal problems in some states and under federal law. It is also possible to chemically convert CBD to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the intoxicating compound in marijuana.

 

8,9-Dihydrocannabidiol (H2CBD) is a synthetic molecule with a similar structure to CBD. Mascal's laboratory developed a simple method to inexpensively synthesize H2CBD from commercially available chemicals. "Unlike CBD, there is no way to convert H2CBD to intoxicating THC," he said.

 

One important medical use of cannabis and CBD is in treatment of epilepsy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an extract of herbal CBD for treating some seizure conditions and there is also strong evidence from animal studies.

 

The researchers tested synthetic H2CBD against herbal CBD in rats with induced seizures. H2CBD and CBD were found to be equally effective for the reduction of both the frequency and severity of seizures.

 

Mascal is working with colleagues at the UC Davis School of Medicine to carry out more studies in animals with a goal of moving into clinical trials soon. UC Davis has applied for a provisional patent on antiseizure use of H2CBD and its analogues, and Mascal has founded a company, Syncanica, to continue development.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190528140107.htm

Read More
Cannabis/Psychedelic 8 Larry Minikes Cannabis/Psychedelic 8 Larry Minikes

Cannabidiol significantly reduces seizures in patients with severe form of epilepsy

Study looked at two doses of cannabis-derived medication's effectiveness in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

May 16, 2018

Science Daily/NYU Langone Health / NYU School of Medicine

Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from the cannabis plant that does not produce a "high" and has been an increasing focus of medical research, was shown in a new large-scale, randomized, controlled trial to significantly reduce the number of dangerous seizures in patients with a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

 

In the new study comparing two doses of CBD to a placebo, the researchers reported a 41.9 percent reduction in "drop seizures" -- a type of seizure that results in severe loss of muscle control and balance -- in patients taking a 20 mg/kg/d CBD regimen, a 37.2 percent reduction in those on a 10 mg/kg/d CBD regimen, and a 17.2 percent reduction in a group given a placebo.

 

The phase III trial was led by principal investigator and study first co-author Orrin Devinsky, MD, a professor of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine and director of NYU Langone's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, and was published online May 17 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

 

"This new study adds rigorous evidence of cannabidiol's effectiveness in reducing seizure burden in a severe form of epilepsy and, importantly, is the first study of its kind to offer more information on proper dosing," says Dr. Devinsky. "These are real medications with real side effects, and as providers we need to know all we can about a potential treatment in order to provide safe and effective care to our patients."

 

The study included an investigational liquid, oral formulation of CBD called Epidiolex. The product is manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals, which operates in the U.S. as Greenwich Biosciences; GW Pharmaceuticals funded the clinical trial.

 

Safety of Two CBD Doses Studied

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a rare and severe form of epilepsy characterized by frequent drop seizures and severe cognitive impairment. Six medications are approved to treat seizures in patients with the syndrome, but disabling seizures occur in most patients despite these treatments.

 

Researchers enrolled 225 patients (age 2 to 55) with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome across 30 international sites in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of two doses of CBD: Seventy-six patients received 20 mg/kg/d CBD, 73 received 10 mg/kg/d CBD, and 76 were given a placebo. All medications were divided into two doses per day for 14 weeks. The number of seizures were monitored beginning four weeks prior to the study for baseline assessment, then tracked throughout the 14-week study period and afterwards for a four-week safety check.

 

Side effects occurred in 94 per of patients in the 20 mg CBD group, 84 percent in the 10 mg CBD group, and 72 percent of those taking placebo. Side effects were generally reported as mild or moderate in severity and those that occurred in more than 10 percent of patients included: sleepiness, decreased appetite, diarrhea, upper respiratory infection, fever, vomiting, nasopharyngitis, and status epilepticus. Fourteen patients taking CBD experienced dose-related, elevated liver enzymes that were reversible. Seven participants from the CBD group withdrew from the trial due to side effects compared to one participant in the placebo group.

 

"This landmark study provides data and evidence that Epidiolex can be an effective and safe treatment for seizures seen in patients with Lennox Gastaut Syndrome, a very difficult to control epilepsy syndrome," adds study co-first author, Anup Patel, MD, chief of Neurology at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

 

A study led by Dr. Devinsky published in last May's New England Journal of Medicine showed a 39 percent drop in seizure frequency in patients with a different rare form of epilepsy, Dravet syndrome. Those findings represented the first large-scale, randomized clinical trial for the compound. Open label CBD studies led by Dr. Devinsky also have shown positive results for treatment-resistant epilepsies.

 

In April, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel unanimously voted to recommend approval of a new drug application for Epidiolex cannabidiol oral solution, following a meeting where researchers, including Dr. Devinsky, presented their findings. The FDA will decide whether to approve the medication in late June.

 

"While the news gives hope for a new treatment option to the epilepsy community, more research remains imperative to better determine the effects of CBD and other similar cannabis-derived compounds on other forms of the disease and in more dosing regimens," says Dr. Devinsky.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180516172255.htm

Read More
Cannabis/Psychedelic 5 Larry Minikes Cannabis/Psychedelic 5 Larry Minikes

Cannabidiol significantly reduces seizures in patients with severe form of epilepsy

Study looked at two doses of cannabis-derived medication's effectiveness in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

May 16, 2018

Science Daily/NYU Langone Health / NYU School of Medicine

Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from the cannabis plant that does not produce a "high" and has been an increasing focus of medical research, was shown in a new large-scale, randomized, controlled trial to significantly reduce the number of dangerous seizures in patients with a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

 

In the new study comparing two doses of CBD to a placebo, the researchers reported a 41.9 percent reduction in "drop seizures" -- a type of seizure that results in severe loss of muscle control and balance -- in patients taking a 20 mg/kg/d CBD regimen, a 37.2 percent reduction in those on a 10 mg/kg/d CBD regimen, and a 17.2 percent reduction in a group given a placebo.

 

The phase III trial was led by principal investigator and study first co-author Orrin Devinsky, MD, a professor of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine and director of NYU Langone's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, and was published online May 17 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

 

"This new study adds rigorous evidence of cannabidiol's effectiveness in reducing seizure burden in a severe form of epilepsy and, importantly, is the first study of its kind to offer more information on proper dosing," says Dr. Devinsky. "These are real medications with real side effects, and as providers we need to know all we can about a potential treatment in order to provide safe and effective care to our patients."

 

The study included an investigational liquid, oral formulation of CBD called Epidiolex. The product is manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals, which operates in the U.S. as Greenwich Biosciences; GW Pharmaceuticals funded the clinical trial.

 

Safety of Two CBD Doses Studied

 

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a rare and severe form of epilepsy characterized by frequent drop seizures and severe cognitive impairment. Six medications are approved to treat seizures in patients with the syndrome, but disabling seizures occur in most patients despite these treatments.

 

Researchers enrolled 225 patients (age 2 to 55) with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome across 30 international sites in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of two doses of CBD: Seventy-six patients received 20 mg/kg/d CBD, 73 received 10 mg/kg/d CBD, and 76 were given a placebo. All medications were divided into two doses per day for 14 weeks. The number of seizures were monitored beginning four weeks prior to the study for baseline assessment, then tracked throughout the 14-week study period and afterwards for a four-week safety check.

 

Side effects occurred in 94 per of patients in the 20 mg CBD group, 84 percent in the 10 mg CBD group, and 72 percent of those taking placebo. Side effects were generally reported as mild or moderate in severity and those that occurred in more than 10 percent of patients included: sleepiness, decreased appetite, diarrhea, upper respiratory infection, fever, vomiting, nasopharyngitis, and status epilepticus. Fourteen patients taking CBD experienced dose-related, elevated liver enzymes that were reversible. Seven participants from the CBD group withdrew from the trial due to side effects compared to one participant in the placebo group.

 

"This landmark study provides data and evidence that Epidiolex can be an effective and safe treatment for seizures seen in patients with Lennox Gastaut Syndrome, a very difficult to control epilepsy syndrome," adds study co-first author, Anup Patel, MD, chief of Neurology at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

 

A study led by Dr. Devinsky published in last May's New England Journal of Medicine showed a 39 percent drop in seizure frequency in patients with a different rare form of epilepsy, Dravet syndrome. Those findings represented the first large-scale, randomized clinical trial for the compound. Open label CBD studies led by Dr. Devinsky also have shown positive results for treatment-resistant epilepsies.

 

In April, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel unanimously voted to recommend approval of a new drug application for Epidiolex cannabidiol oral solution, following a meeting where researchers, including Dr. Devinsky, presented their findings. The FDA will decide whether to approve the medication in late June.

 

"While the news gives hope for a new treatment option to the epilepsy community, more research remains imperative to better determine the effects of CBD and other similar cannabis-derived compounds on other forms of the disease and in more dosing regimens," says Dr. Devinsky.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180516172255.htm

Read More
Cannabis/Psychedelic 5 Larry Minikes Cannabis/Psychedelic 5 Larry Minikes

Cannabis-based medicine may cut seizures in half for those with tough-to-treat epilepsy

April 18, 2017

Science Daily/American Academy of Neurology

Taking cannabidiol may cut seizures in half for some children and adults with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), a severe form of epilepsy, according to new information released today from a large scale controlled clinical study that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 69th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 22 to 28, 2017. Cannabidiol is a molecule from the cannabis plant that does not have the psychoactive properties that create a "high."

 

Nearly 40 percent of people with LGS, which starts in childhood, had at least a 50 percent reduction in drop seizures when taking a liquid form of cannabidiol compared to 15 percent taking a placebo.

 

When someone has a drop seizure, their muscle tone changes, causing them to collapse. Children and adults with LGS have multiple kinds of seizures, including drop seizures and tonic-clonic seizures, which involve loss of consciousness and full-body convulsions. The seizures are hard to control and usually do not respond well to medications. Intellectual development is usually impaired in people with LGS.

 

Although the drop seizures of LGS are often very brief, they frequently lead to injury and trips to the hospital emergency room, so any reduction in drop seizure frequency is a benefit.

 

"Our study found that cannabidiol shows great promise in that it may reduce seizures that are otherwise difficult to control," said study author Anup Patel, MD, of Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

 

For the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers followed 225 people with an average age of 16 for 14 weeks. The participants had an average of 85 drop seizures per month, had already tried an average of six epilepsy drugs that did not work for them and were taking an average of three epilepsy drugs during the study.

 

Participants were given either a higher dose of 20 mg/kg daily cannabidiol, a lower dose of 10 mg/kg daily cannabidiol or placebo as an add-on to their current medications for 14 weeks.

 

Those taking the higher dose had a 42 percent reduction in drop seizures overall, and for 40 percent, their seizures were reduced by half or more.

 

Those taking the lower dose had a 37 percent reduction in drop seizures overall, and for 36 percent, seizures were reduced by half or more.

 

Those taking the placebo had a 17 percent reduction in drop seizures, and for 15 percent, seizures were reduced by half or more.

 

There were side effects for 94 percent of those taking the higher dose, 84 percent of those taking the lower dose and 72 percent of those taking placebo, but most side effects were reported as mild to moderate. The two most common were decreased appetite and sleepiness.

 

Those receiving cannabidiol were up to 2.6 times more likely to say their overall condition had improved than those receiving the placebo, with up to 66 percent reporting improvement compared to 44 percent of those receiving the placebo.

 

"Our results suggest that cannabidiol may be effective for those with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in treating drop seizures," said Patel. "This is important because this kind of epilepsy is incredibly difficult to treat. While there were more side effects for those taking cannabidiol, they were mostly well-tolerated. I believe that it may become an important new treatment option for these patients."

 

There is currently a plan to submit a New Drug Application to the FDA later this year.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170418161907.htm

Read More
Cannabis/Psychedelic 4 Larry Minikes Cannabis/Psychedelic 4 Larry Minikes

Cannabidiol may help to reduce seizures for people with treatment-resistant form of epilepsy

January 25, 2018

Science Daily/The Lancet

Treatment with a pharmaceutical formulation of cannabidiol alongside other anti-epilepsy treatments helped to reduce the number of drop seizures -- seizures which involve sudden falls due to loss of muscle tone -- in people with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome who did not respond to previous treatment, according to a phase 3 randomised clinical trial published in The Lancet.

 

Around 1-4% of childhood epilepsy cases are caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome -- a lifelong, severe form of epilepsy involving multiple seizure types and cognitive impairment. While there are a range of drug and non-pharmacological treatments (such as ketogenic diet, nerve stimulation, and brain surgery) available, these only help 10% of patients become seizure free.

 

The 14-week trial reduced the frequency of seizures, but the long-term efficacy and safety of the pharmaceutical formulation of cannabidiol, as well as the drug's interaction with other epilepsy drugs, now needs to be confirmed.

 

"There is an urgent need for novel treatment options for patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and we are pleased that our study has potentially found an additional option to add to patients' existing treatment to reduce drop seizures," says lead author Dr Elizabeth Thiele, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA. "Our results suggest that the use of cannabidiol as an add-on therapy with other anti-epilepsy drugs might significantly reduce the frequency of drop seizures in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, which is positive news for these patients, who often do not respond to treatment."

 

She notes: "It's important to highlight that the drug used in this trial is a pharmaceutical formulation, and not medical marijuana."

 

The 14-week trial involved 171 participants aged 2-55 years from the USA, the Netherlands or Poland, who had had a variety of seizures over the past six months (including two or more drop seizures per week during the four week baseline period).

 

All participants were highly treatment resistant. Before the trial began, participants had not responded to an average of six anti-epilepsy drugs, were taking three anti-epilepsy drugs, and had 73.8 drop seizures every 28 days, on average.

 

Participants were given a daily dose of a pharmaceutical formulation of cannabidiol (86 people) or placebo (85 people), alongside their usual treatment, for 14 weeks. During this time participants or their caregivers recorded the number and types of seizures each day, as well as medication use and adverse events.

 

At the end of the trial, drop seizures reduced by 43.9% for the cannabidiol group (from an average of 71.4 drop seizures per month at the start of the trial, to 31.4 per month at the end), compared with a 21.8% reduction for those taking the placebo (from 74.7 seizures per month to 56.3 per month at the end).

 

Participants in the cannabidiol group also had a greater reduction in their levels of other seizures, and monthly frequency of all seizures decreased by 41.2% (from an average of 144.6 seizures per month at the start of the trial, to 83.8 per month at the end), compared with a 13.7% reduction for the placebo group (from 176.7 seizures per month to 128.7 at the end of the trial).

 

62% (53/86) participants in the cannabidiol group experienced side effects related to the treatment, compared with 34% (29/85) participants in the placebo group. The most common adverse events in the cannabidiol group were diarrhoea, drowsiness, fever, decreased appetite and vomiting. Serious adverse events were reported in 20 participants in the cannabidiol group, the most common of which were increases in liver enzymes that showed no signs of lasting damage in four participants.

 

For 61% of participants in the cannabidiol group and 64% in the placebo group, adverse events resolved during the trial. However, some participants withdrew from the study due to side effects (14% [12/86] participants in the cannabidiol group and one participant in the placebo group). These withdrawals included the four participants with temporary liver enzyme elevations, and other participants who experienced multiple other side-effects.

 

There were no instances of abuse or misuse of the study drug throughout the trial.

 

The authors note that potential drug interactions between cannabidiol and an epilepsy drug called clobazam need to be explored further. They also note that different doses of cannabidiol should be explored as this study only trialled one dose, and that the long-term efficacy and safety of the treatment needs to be confirmed. The treatment also needs to be tested in a more ethnically diverse group as 90% of participants in this trial were white.

 

Writing in a linked Comment, Dr Sophia Varadkar, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, UK, says: "After many years without promise of new treatments in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, this is an exciting time for patients and clinicians. More data and clinical experience of cannabidiol in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is expected… Clinical trials with cannabidiol are underway in tuberous sclerosis complex… and infantile spasms… and future studies are expected in the other pharmacoresistant epilepsy syndromes."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180125110804.htm

Read More

Compound derived from marijuana interacts with antiepileptic drugs

August 7, 2017

Science Daily/Wiley

New research published in Epilepsia, a journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), suggests that an investigational neurological treatment derived from cannabis may alter the blood levels of commonly used antiepileptic drugs. It is important for clinicians to consider such drug interactions during treatment of complex conditions.

 

Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound developed from the cannabis plant, is being studied as a potential anticonvulsant, and it has demonstrated effectiveness in animal models of epilepsy and in humans. An ongoing open label study (Expanded Access Program) conducted by investigators at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is testing the potential of CBD as a therapy for children and adults with difficult to control epilepsy. The study includes 39 adults and 42 children, all of whom receive CBD.

 

Because all of the participants are also taking other seizure drugs while they are receiving the investigational therapy, investigators checked the blood levels of their other seizure drugs to see if they changed. "With any new potential seizure medication, it is important to know if drug interactions exist and if there are labs that should be monitored while taking a specific medication," said lead author Tyler Gaston, MD.

 

Dr. Gaston and her colleagues found that there were significant changes in levels of the drugs clobazam (and its active metabolite N-desmethylclobazam), topiramate, and rufinamide in both adults and children, and zonisamide and eslicarbazepine in adults only. Except for clobazam/desmethylclobazam, however, the drug levels did not change outside of the normally accepted range. In addition, adult participants in the study taking clobazam reported sedation more frequently.

 

Tests also showed that participants taking valproate and CBD had higher ALT and AST (liver function tests) compared with participants not taking valproate. Very high ALT and AST indicate abnormal liver function, but significant ALT and AST elevation occurred only in a mall number of participants (4 children and 1 adult), and the levels returned to normal after discontinuation of valproate and CBD.

 

"While the interaction between CBD and clobazam has been established in the literature, there are currently no published human data on CBD's potential interactions with other seizure medications," said Dr. Gaston. "However, given the open label and naturalistic follow-up design of this study, our findings will need to be confirmed under controlled conditions."

 

The findings emphasize the importance of monitoring blood levels of antiepileptic drugs as well as liver function during treatment with CBD. "A perception exists that since CBD is plant based, that it is natural and safe; and while this may be mostly true, our study shows that CBD, just like other antiepileptic drugs, has interactions with other seizure drugs that patients and providers need to be aware of," said Dr. Gaston.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170807080803.htm

Read More
Cannabis/Psychedelic 2 Larry Minikes Cannabis/Psychedelic 2 Larry Minikes

Cannabis-based medicine may cut seizures in half for those with tough-to-treat epilepsy

April 18, 2017

Science Daily/American Academy of Neurology

Taking cannabidiol may cut seizures in half for some children and adults with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), a severe form of epilepsy, according to new information released today from a large scale controlled clinical study that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 69th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 22 to 28, 2017. Cannabidiol is a molecule from the cannabis plant that does not have the psychoactive properties that create a "high."

 

Nearly 40 percent of people with LGS, which starts in childhood, had at least a 50 percent reduction in drop seizures when taking a liquid form of cannabidiol compared to 15 percent taking a placebo.

 

When someone has a drop seizure, their muscle tone changes, causing them to collapse. Children and adults with LGS have multiple kinds of seizures, including drop seizures and tonic-clonic seizures, which involve loss of consciousness and full-body convulsions. The seizures are hard to control and usually do not respond well to medications. Intellectual development is usually impaired in people with LGS.

 

Although the drop seizures of LGS are often very brief, they frequently lead to injury and trips to the hospital emergency room, so any reduction in drop seizure frequency is a benefit.

 

"Our study found that cannabidiol shows great promise in that it may reduce seizures that are otherwise difficult to control," said study author Anup Patel, MD, of Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

 

For the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers followed 225 people with an average age of 16 for 14 weeks. The participants had an average of 85 drop seizures per month, had already tried an average of six epilepsy drugs that did not work for them and were taking an average of three epilepsy drugs during the study.

 

Participants were given either a higher dose of 20 mg/kg daily cannabidiol, a lower dose of 10 mg/kg daily cannabidiol or placebo as an add-on to their current medications for 14 weeks.

 

Those taking the higher dose had a 42 percent reduction in drop seizures overall, and for 40 percent, their seizures were reduced by half or more.

 

Those taking the lower dose had a 37 percent reduction in drop seizures overall, and for 36 percent, seizures were reduced by half or more.

 

Those taking the placebo had a 17 percent reduction in drop seizures, and for 15 percent, seizures were reduced by half or more.

 

There were side effects for 94 percent of those taking the higher dose, 84 percent of those taking the lower dose and 72 percent of those taking placebo, but most side effects were reported as mild to moderate. The two most common were decreased appetite and sleepiness.

 

Those receiving cannabidiol were up to 2.6 times more likely to say their overall condition had improved than those receiving the placebo, with up to 66 percent reporting improvement compared to 44 percent of those receiving the placebo.

 

"Our results suggest that cannabidiol may be effective for those with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in treating drop seizures," said Patel. "This is important because this kind of epilepsy is incredibly difficult to treat. While there were more side effects for those taking cannabidiol, they were mostly well-tolerated. I believe that it may become an important new treatment option for these patients."

 

There is currently a plan to submit a New Drug Application to the FDA later this year.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170418161907.htm

Read More