Pubdate: 17 Nov, 1999
Source: Examiner, The (Ireland)
Copyright: Examiner Publications Ltd, 1999
Contact:  http://www.examiner.ie/

CANNABIS TREATMENT TRIALS ON VOLUNTEERS ENCOURAGING

A British company growing thousands of cannabis plants for therapeutic use 
yesterday said the first study in which volunteers took extracts of the 
drug had shown encouraging results.

The pilot Phase One study involved just six healthy individuals and was 
intended to pave the way for larger patient trials.

GW Pharmaceuticals, which is cultivating cannabis under a special Home 
Office licence, said although the study had been completed analysis of the 
data was continuing. Dr Geoffrey Guy, the company's chairman, said: "all 
the subjects came through very well, and we were very pleased with the 
study. Now we have a much better idea of what our starting point should be."

He said no results would be disclosed until publication in a scientific 
journal. This will probably have to wait until the completion of the next 
phase.

Dr Guy personally potted GW Pharmaceuticals' 20,000th cannabis plant on 
August 24 this year. The plants are housed in a highly secure and 
environmentally controlled glasshouse at a secret location in the Home 
Counties. The company hopes to produce cannabis treatments mainly to 
relieve pain and dysfunction caused by nerve damage.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that compounds extracted from the drug could 
benefit sufferers of Multiple Sclerosis, spinal cord injury, arthritis and 
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as well as a number of other problems.

In the pilot study, conducted at an anonymous clinical pharmacology unit, 
volunteers were given cannabis extracts either from an inhaler or via 
liquid under the tongue. The main aim was to assess how well the treatments 
were tolerated and obtain an initial idea of the optimum dosage.

Heart rate, temperature and respiration were monitored and blood samples 
taken for analysis. In addition each volunteer went through a battery of 
cognitive and psychometric tests.

Dr Guy said: "we have been able to define and follow through the 
psychoactive effects. None of the effects is disturbing, or would be 
classed in a clinical trial as serious." He said patients did not need to 
get high to gain a therapeutic benefit. In fact psychoactive effects 
appeared to indicate an overdose.

If approved by the regulatory authorities, the second phase trials would 
commence next year.

They will involve up to two or three hundred patients with MS, spinal cord 
injury, and phantom limb pain, said Dr Guy.

By the end of the final Phase Three trials a total of around 2,000 patients 
will have taken part.

The main studies should be completed in 2002.

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