Sativex (nabiximols), a THC:CBD oral spray, consistently relieves the pain and severity of treatment-resistant spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a recent study.
An analysis of the Sativex as Add-on therapy Vs. further optimized first-line ANTispastics (SAVANT) study revealed that Sativex, used in conjunction with an anti-spasticity medication, provided strong and consistent relief from the symptoms and pain of drug-resistant MS spasticity.
Importantly, Sativex provided nearly the same amount of relief to all surveyed patients, regardless of the degree and duration of their spasticity.
The study reporting the findings, “Tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol oromucosal spray in resistant multiple sclerosis spasticity: consistency of response across subgroups from the SAVANT randomized clinical trial,” was published in the International Journal of Neuroscience.
Spasticity is a common and disabling symptom of MS, and consists of continuous involuntary muscle contractions. The stiffness and tightness of the spastic muscles can interfere with normal movement, speech, and gait. Other symptoms associated with spasticity include pain and sleep disturbances.
Studies suggest that approximately one-third of MS patients experience moderate spasticity within 10 years of their initial diagnosis, and the severity of spasticity directly correlates with one’s well-being and overall quality of life.
Although several anti-spastic medications exist, some MS patients are resistant to them. That’s why there is a medical need to find relief for those patients.
Sativex is an oromucosal spray, developed by GW Pharmaceuticals, containing a cannabis extract of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol (THC:CBD). It is approved in the EU and other regions as an add-on treatment for adult patients with moderate-to-severe resistant MS spasticity.