The CANNA-TICS phase III trial evaluated nabiximols (Sativex) for chronic tic disorders, providing the largest controlled cannabinoid study in Tourette syndrome to date.
Neurologists, Tourette syndrome patients, movement disorder specialists, and pharmaceutical regulators.
Phase IIIb trialLargest multicenter placebo-controlled trial of cannabinoid treatment for chronic tic disorders
What the researchers found
The prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase IIIb trial (CANNA-TICS) evaluated nabiximols efficacy and safety for chronic tic disorders, providing rigorous evidence for cannabinoid treatment of Tourette syndrome.
Why it matters
This is the largest and most rigorous clinical trial of a cannabinoid medication for Tourette syndrome, potentially leading to the first cannabinoid-based treatment specifically approved for tic disorders.
The numbers in context
Prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase IIIb superiority study of oral nabiximols in adults with chronic tic disorders.
How the study worked
Phase IIIb multicenter randomized double-blind placebo-controlled superiority trial of nabiximols for chronic tic disorders.
Who was studied
Adults with chronic tic disorders (including Tourette syndrome) in a multicenter trial across multiple sites.
What this study cannot tell us
Phase IIIb design; adult-only population while tics often affect children; nabiximols availability varies by country; treatment duration may not capture long-term outcomes.
How to read the evidence
Phase IIIb multicenter RCT provides high-quality evidence for regulatory decisions.
When this study was published
Recent pivotal trial results for cannabinoid-tic disorder treatment.
The bigger picture
The CANNA-TICS trial represents a milestone in cannabinoid therapeutics for movement disorders, potentially changing the treatment landscape for a condition with limited pharmacological options.
Replication
Pivotal trial building on smaller pilot studies; represents the culmination of cannabinoid-Tourette research.
Funding
Not specified
Conflicts of interest
Not specified
Questions still open
- Did nabiximols achieve superiority over placebo?
- Which tic types responded best?
- Would results apply to pediatric patients?
Read the original research
CANNA-TICS: Efficacy and safety of oral treatment with nabiximols in adults with chronic tic disorders - Results of a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, phase IIIb superiority study.
Psychiatry research, 323, 115135
Citation
Müller-Vahl, Kirsten R; Pisarenko, Anna; Szejko, Natalia; Haas, Martina; Fremer, Carolin; Jakubovski, Ewgeni; Musil, Richard; Münchau, Alexander; Neuner, Irene; Huys, Daniel; van Elst, Ludger Tebartz; Schröder, Christoph; Ringlstetter, Rieke; Koch, Armin; Jenz, Eva Beate; Großhennig, Anika. (2023). CANNA-TICS: Efficacy and safety of oral treatment with nabiximols in adults with chronic tic disorders - Results of a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, phase IIIb superiority study.. Psychiatry research, 323, 115135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115135