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A drug made frommarijuanathat does not grow a " gamy " may avail thin out capture in people with sure types of epilepsy that are difficult to deal , new research suggests .
In two new studies , researcher test the drug , which is a purified solution of cannabidiol ( CBD ) , acompound found in marijuana . Although CBD affects the brain , it does not raise euphoria or intoxication , according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse .
One study involved 120 children with a uncommon and spartan form of epilepsy bid Dravet syndrome that had make them to experience at least four seizure in the past calendar month . The children were randomly assign to take either the CBD medicine or a placebo , twice a day . After 14 weeks , the patient in the CBD mathematical group receive a 39 pct step-down in the frequency of their seizure on middling , compare with a 13 percent average reduction in the placebo mathematical group .
The other study involved 171 kid and adults with atype of epilepsycalled Lennox - Gastaut syndrome . The participants in that subject also make either CBD or a placebo for 14 weeks . To be included in that study , participants had to experience at least two " drop " gaining control a week . Drop seizures intend they went limp and fell to the ground .
The investigator found that the patients in the CBD radical experienced an average reducing of 44 pct in the frequency of their driblet seizures , equate with an average reduction of 22 percentage in the placebo group .
The finding suggests that CBD may be able to help process patient with epilepsy who have n’t benefited from standard epilepsy medications , the researcher said . [ Mixing the Pot ? 7 Ways Marijuana interact with medicine ]
The CBD medical specialty " is not a silver slug , but there are children who benefit from this more than they have from other treatments , " Dr. Elizabeth Thiele , who worked on both studies and is the director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Program at Massachusetts General Hospital , say in a command .
The patients in the new study had try out four to six other anti - epilepsy drugs , which had n’t aid their seizures . During the study , they continued take any other drugs they were already on — an average of three anti - epilepsy drug — along with the CBD or placebo treatment .
The novel medication , called Epidiolex ( manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals ) , is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration , and is also not yet uncommitted for sale , even in states wheremedical marijuanais sound . The study were fund by GW Pharmaceuticals .
The findings add to former research suggesting that Epidiolex canreduce seizures in patients with epilepsy . The new bailiwick were more rigorous than earlier ones , because the new studies let in a placebo mathematical group , while the earlier subject had not .
However , some patients in the new field experienced mild to moderate side effects while take CBD , including drowsiness , diarrhea , fall appetite , weariness , fever and vomit . About 8 to 10 pct of patient experienced serious side effects that were remember to be tie in to the drug , include abnormal levels of liver enzyme .
Epilepsy patients who take CBD should be monitored closely , and have routine origin and liver run , the researcher say . Patients may need to adjust other medicament they are take during their CBD discourse , they articulate . [ 25 Odd Facts About Marijuana ]
A third , separate subject area quiz the CBD medicine in 81 patient who had any type of epilepsy and had already tried at least four anti - epilepsy medications that had n’t assist their seizures . More than half ( 58 percentage ) of these participant get a 50 percent reduction in their capture frequency , and a lowly phone number ( 9 percentage ) were seizure - detached after the six - month study , the investigator said .
Still , not all patients gain from the CBD treatment , and a few acquire worse , order study research worker Dr. Jerzy Szaflarski , director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Epilepsy Center . Szaflarski said that more inquiry is needed to determine why CBD help some affected role with epilepsy , but not others .
The discipline were stage this week at the American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting in Houston , and are not yet bring out in a equal - refresh journal . GW Pharmaceuticals plans to submit Epidiolex for FDA approval in 2017 , agree to the American Epilepsy Society .
Original article onLive Science .
