Dronabinol (synthetic THC) is approved for appetite loss in AIDS and shows promise in cancer

This was a narrative review of available data on oral dronabinol formulations for the management of anorexia and weight loss in HIV/AIDS and cancer, including pharmacotherapeutic considerations of the newest oral solution formulation.

Appetite loss and wasting are devastating complications of HIV/AIDS and cancer that significantly reduce quality of life and survival. Dronabinol remains one of the few FDA-approved options specifically targeting appetite stimulation, and the newer oral solution formulation may improve access for patients with swallowing difficulties.

The use of cannabinoids for appetite stimulation was one of the earliest medical applications of cannabis. While dronabinol has been available for decades, the lack of robust recent clinical data and the absence of a cancer indication highlight how slowly cannabinoid therapeutic research has progressed, even for well-established applications.

This is a narrative review without systematic search methodology. The lack of standardized definitions for anorexia in these populations limits the ability to compare studies. Much of the clinical data for dronabinol is dated. The review focuses on dronabinol specifically and does not compare it to whole-plant cannabis products or other cannabinoid formulations.