Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
At WellSpan Health, pediatric neurologist Dr. Todd Barron said about 50 percent of his patients have epilepsy.
Medical marijuana isn't a foreign topic, as anecdotal evidence suggests the CBD compound in the plant can help with seizures, he said.
With no definite answer - yet - Barron said WellSpan will be conducting two studies that will test CBD on epilepsy: one for children with Dravet syndrome and one for those with Lennox—Gastaut syndrome.
"We felt that this was the best way to help our patients, by looking at the drug in a safe fashion," he said.
The trial: The studies will use Epidiolex, a purified product made from cannabis sativa, Barron said. It has less than 0.5 percent THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, he said.
Because of marijuana's status as a Schedule I drug - the most dangerous classification - the Epidiolex must be locked in a safe behind a locked door, Barron said.
"That just reflects the difficulty in doing these kinds of studies," he said.
The Dravet trial - for ages 2 to 18 - will open up next month, and the Lennox trial will include some adults but is still awaiting approval from the FDA, Barron said.
Nationally, 80 children will be enrolled in the first trial, which is the first study of its kind in the region, he said. One of Barron's patients saw a 50 percent reduction in seizures after phase one of a similar study at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, he said.
The Epidiolex comes in a gel cap or a liquid and will show how well-tolerated the medication is, as well as if this form of medical marijuana is an effective anti-seizure med, Barron said.
Hope: Some parents go online to buy CBD products, but with unregulated drugs, it's never certain which contaminants could be present, he said.
So introducing the treatment in this way is a safe way to explore its potential effectiveness, Barron said.
"I think it'll help our parents, because right now, many of them are feeling guilty," he said.
Barron said his practice has about five or six children with Dravet and that he will contact them to see if they qualify for the study.
He said his suspicion is that the drug will be effective in some people, but not everybody, which is typical with anti-seizure meds.
"That's what makes drug trials kind of exciting," he said. "You hope things work, but there's no guarantee."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: WellSpan prepares to launch region's first medical marijuana study - York Dispatch
Author: Mollie Durkin
Contact: mdurkin@yorkdispatch.com
Photo Credit: Berkeley PCC
Website: York Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic - York Dispatch
Medical marijuana isn't a foreign topic, as anecdotal evidence suggests the CBD compound in the plant can help with seizures, he said.
With no definite answer - yet - Barron said WellSpan will be conducting two studies that will test CBD on epilepsy: one for children with Dravet syndrome and one for those with Lennox—Gastaut syndrome.
"We felt that this was the best way to help our patients, by looking at the drug in a safe fashion," he said.
The trial: The studies will use Epidiolex, a purified product made from cannabis sativa, Barron said. It has less than 0.5 percent THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, he said.
Because of marijuana's status as a Schedule I drug - the most dangerous classification - the Epidiolex must be locked in a safe behind a locked door, Barron said.
"That just reflects the difficulty in doing these kinds of studies," he said.
The Dravet trial - for ages 2 to 18 - will open up next month, and the Lennox trial will include some adults but is still awaiting approval from the FDA, Barron said.
Nationally, 80 children will be enrolled in the first trial, which is the first study of its kind in the region, he said. One of Barron's patients saw a 50 percent reduction in seizures after phase one of a similar study at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, he said.
The Epidiolex comes in a gel cap or a liquid and will show how well-tolerated the medication is, as well as if this form of medical marijuana is an effective anti-seizure med, Barron said.
Hope: Some parents go online to buy CBD products, but with unregulated drugs, it's never certain which contaminants could be present, he said.
So introducing the treatment in this way is a safe way to explore its potential effectiveness, Barron said.
"I think it'll help our parents, because right now, many of them are feeling guilty," he said.
Barron said his practice has about five or six children with Dravet and that he will contact them to see if they qualify for the study.
He said his suspicion is that the drug will be effective in some people, but not everybody, which is typical with anti-seizure meds.
"That's what makes drug trials kind of exciting," he said. "You hope things work, but there's no guarantee."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: WellSpan prepares to launch region's first medical marijuana study - York Dispatch
Author: Mollie Durkin
Contact: mdurkin@yorkdispatch.com
Photo Credit: Berkeley PCC
Website: York Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic - York Dispatch
