A New CBD Formulation That Gets More Drug Into the Brain
A novel CBD delivery technology (DehydraTECH) dramatically improved CBD absorption and brain penetration in rats, and the resulting formulation showed anti-seizure effects at lower doses than Epidiolex.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
One of CBD's biggest pharmacological limitations is poor oral bioavailability—most of what you swallow gets destroyed by the liver before reaching the bloodstream (first-pass metabolism). This study tested a drug delivery technology called DehydraTECH that aims to bypass that problem.
In rats, the DehydraTECH formulation substantially improved CBD absorption compared to standard CBD in MCT oil. More importantly, it increased CBD levels in brain tissue—the target organ for seizure control. The technology uses an enhanced lipophilic composition hypothesized to shuttle CBD through absorption pathways that avoid first-pass liver metabolism.
The leading formulation, called CBDtech, was then tested in the maximal electroshock seizure (MES) model—a standard preclinical test for anticonvulsant drugs. CBDtech showed anti-seizure effects at doses between 50–100 mg/kg, comparable to or potentially better than Epidiolex at similar doses.
The practical implication: if less CBD is wasted in digestion, patients could potentially achieve therapeutic levels with lower doses, reducing side effects and cost. For epilepsy patients already taking Epidiolex (which requires high doses), a more bioavailable formulation could be meaningful.
Key Numbers
25 mg/kg oral CBD compared across formulations. DehydraTECH improved absorption and brain penetration vs. MCT oil. CBDtech showed anticonvulsant effects at 50–100 mg/kg in the MES model. N = 10 rats per group for PK studies.
How They Did This
Preclinical study in Sprague Dawley rats. Pharmacokinetic phase: oral administration of 25 mg/kg CBD in MCT oil vs. DehydraTECH formulations (n = 10 per group). Plasma, brain tissue, urine, and feces analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Efficacy phase: CBDtech tested in the acute maximal electroshock seizure (MES) model to determine effective dose, time of peak efficacy, and median effective dose. Compared to Epidiolex at 50–100 mg/kg.
Why This Research Matters
CBD bioavailability is a real clinical problem. Epidiolex requires high doses (up to 20 mg/kg/day in children), which contributes to side effects like liver enzyme elevation, sedation, and drug interactions. A formulation that delivers more CBD to the brain with less total drug could improve the therapeutic window. This technology is still preclinical, but the pharmacokinetic data is encouraging.
The Bigger Picture
This addresses the same clinical need as RTHC-00160 (carvone-derived CBD analogues) but from a different angle—improving delivery of existing CBD rather than creating new molecules. RTHC-00165 and RTHC-00186 both discuss the clinical use of CBD for epilepsy, and this formulation technology could enhance outcomes for the 30% of epilepsy patients who remain treatment-resistant. The bioavailability problem also affects every other potential CBD application (pain, inflammation, anxiety).
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Rat pharmacokinetics don't directly translate to humans—species differences in drug metabolism are significant. The MES model is a basic seizure test that doesn't capture the complexity of human epilepsy syndromes. No comparison to other advanced CBD formulations beyond standard MCT oil. No long-term safety data. The technology is proprietary, which may affect access and cost.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will the improved bioavailability translate to better seizure control in human clinical trials?
- ?Could lower effective doses reduce the liver enzyme elevations and drug interactions associated with high-dose CBD?
- ?Would this technology benefit other CBD indications beyond epilepsy?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Preclinical rat study with systematic pharmacokinetic and efficacy testing—promising but very early-stage, requiring human trials for clinical relevance.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025, representing current pharmaceutical innovation in CBD delivery.
- Original Title:
- Preclinical assessment of pharmacokinetics and anticonvulsant activity of CBDTech, a novel orally administered cannabidiol (CBD) formulation for seizure and epilepsy.
- Published In:
- Journal of cannabis research, 7(1), 73 (2025) — The Journal of Cannabis Research publishes peer-reviewed research on cannabis and its applications.
- Authors:
- McDonald, Jacob D(2), Zhou, Feng(3), Kulpa, Justyna(3), Kuehl, Philip J
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07101
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07101APA
McDonald, Jacob D; Zhou, Feng; Kulpa, Justyna; Kuehl, Philip J. (2025). Preclinical assessment of pharmacokinetics and anticonvulsant activity of CBDTech, a novel orally administered cannabidiol (CBD) formulation for seizure and epilepsy.. Journal of cannabis research, 7(1), 73. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-025-00322-7
MLA
McDonald, Jacob D, et al. "Preclinical assessment of pharmacokinetics and anticonvulsant activity of CBDTech, a novel orally administered cannabidiol (CBD) formulation for seizure and epilepsy.." Journal of cannabis research, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-025-00322-7
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Preclinical assessment of pharmacokinetics and anticonvulsan..." RTHC-07101. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mcdonald-2025-preclinical-assessment-of-pharmacokinetics
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.