Four Cannabis Compounds Are Being Tested as Epilepsy Treatments
CBD has proven therapeutic benefit for Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes, while three other cannabinoids (CBDV, THCV, THCA) are in various stages of epilepsy research.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Preclinical studies confirmed anticonvulsant activity of CBD and CBDV across multiple epilepsy models. Clinical trials showed clear therapeutic benefit of CBD for treatment-resistant seizures in Dravet syndrome and drop seizures in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, with good safety profiles.
Key Numbers
Four cannabinoids investigated: CBD, CBDV, THCV, and THCA. CBD showed benefit specifically in Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS). Clinical trials for CBDV results were still pending at publication.
How They Did This
Review of preclinical and clinical studies on investigational cannabinoids for epilepsy, searched across MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EBSCO, Google Scholar, and SCINDEX databases.
Why This Research Matters
About one-third of epilepsy patients are drug-resistant. CBD has become the first cannabis-derived compound approved for epilepsy, and several other cannabinoids in the research pipeline could expand treatment options.
The Bigger Picture
The success of CBD for epilepsy has opened the door for investigating other cannabinoids. Each compound has different mechanisms of action, which could mean different cannabinoids work for different types of seizures.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Clinical evidence was strongest for CBD; other cannabinoids still lacked human trial data. The full therapeutic potential across epilepsy types remains unknown.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will CBDV clinical trials show the same promise as preclinical data suggested?
- ?Could combinations of cannabinoids be more effective than single compounds?
- ?What mechanisms explain CBD's anticonvulsant effects?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- One-third of epilepsy patients are drug-resistant; CBD showed clear benefit for the most severe pediatric forms.
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate - review covers both established (CBD) and preliminary (other cannabinoids) evidence with appropriate distinction between the two.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2018. CBD (Epidiolex) has since been FDA-approved for these indications.
- Original Title:
- Investigational cannabinoids in seizure disorders, what have we learned thus far?
- Published In:
- Expert opinion on investigational drugs, 27(6), 535-541 (2018)
- Authors:
- Ružić Zečević, Dejana, Folić, Marko, Tantoush, Ziyad, Radovanović, Milan, Babić, Goran, Janković, Slobodan M
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01818
Evidence Hierarchy
Summarizes existing research on a topic.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does CBD help with seizures?
Clinical trials showed clear therapeutic benefit of CBD for treatment-resistant seizures in Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. It has since been FDA-approved for these conditions as Epidiolex.
Are there other cannabis compounds that might treat epilepsy?
Three other cannabinoids are being investigated: CBDV (cannabidivarin), THCV, and THCA. Preclinical data is promising, but human trial data was still limited at the time of this review.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01818APA
Ružić Zečević, Dejana; Folić, Marko; Tantoush, Ziyad; Radovanović, Milan; Babić, Goran; Janković, Slobodan M. (2018). Investigational cannabinoids in seizure disorders, what have we learned thus far?. Expert opinion on investigational drugs, 27(6), 535-541. https://doi.org/10.1080/13543784.2018.1482275
MLA
Ružić Zečević, Dejana, et al. "Investigational cannabinoids in seizure disorders, what have we learned thus far?." Expert opinion on investigational drugs, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/13543784.2018.1482275
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Investigational cannabinoids in seizure disorders, what have..." RTHC-01818. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/ruzic-2018-investigational-cannabinoids-in-seizure
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.