March 23, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Scientists Review State of Cannabis Research in MS Treatment with cannabis-based medications may ease muscle spasms, decrease pain, and aid in sleep for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but more research is needed to evaluate the potential benefits of cannabis use. That is the finding of a team of U.S. researchers who published a review paper,Ā “…
October 15, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ECTRIMS2021 ā Sativex Eases MS Patients’ Spasticity, Spasms in Trials Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13ā15. GoĀ hereĀ to see the latest stories from the conference. Sativex…
June 28, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Scientists Working on More Efficient Way to Deliver CBD A team of scientists is working on a new delivery method that would use tiny capsules for gettingĀ cannabidoil, or CBD, to the brain. According to a study in mice, microcapsules containing cannabidiol can be combined with vesicles carrying a bile acid ā an acid found in the gut ā…
January 18, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: CBD, Sativex, Lemtrada, Sexual Dysfunction Public-private Partnership Will Assess Therapy Potential, Effects of CBD Have you tried using CBD to treat your MS? I have. I’d hoped it would ease my leg spasms. Some people say it helps, but neither drops under my tongue nor salve rubbed onto my legs seemed to help me.
January 14, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Public-private Partnership Will Assess Therapy Potential, Effects of CBD Open Book Extracts (OBX) and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have partnered to investigate how cannabinoids like CBD affect brain cells, particularly in regard to neuroinflammation, according to an OBX press release. CBD (cannabidiol) and other cannabinoids, such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), have attracted interest for…
October 9, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Almost Half of US MS Patients Surveyed Report Using Cannabis for Nerve Pain, Sleep In a nationwide survey of cannabis-based therapy use among Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS), almost half of respondents endorsed such products, primarily for nerve-based pain and sleep disturbances, and the perceived benefits for sleep and pain were highly correlated.Ā The reported…
September 23, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Medical Cannabis Lozenges Now Available for MS Patients in Texas People in Texas with multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) and other medical conditions now have access to cannabis-infused lozenges, Surterra TexasĀ announced. Under a Texas Compassionate Use Program, cannabis-containing therapies may be prescribed to help treat various neurological and other disorders, includingĀ terminal cancer, spasticity,…
August 27, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MMJ International Holdings Manufacturing Cannabis-based Investigational Therapies for MS, Huntington’s MMJ International Holdings, in collaboration with a a specialty pharmaceutical solutions company, has begun manufacturing gelatin capsule medicines based on compounds found in cannabis, The company will investigate these in clinical trials as potential treatments forĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) andĀ Huntingtonās disease. “As MMJ…
July 10, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Trial of Cannabis Derivatives in Treating MS Spasticity to Open in Canada The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and its partner, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), have invested CA$1.5 million to open a clinical trialĀ that will investigate the potential of two cannabis derivatives ā cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ā in treatingĀ spasticity (muscle stiffness) and other…
May 21, 2020 Columns by Tamara Sellman Need to Know: Using CBD Topical Products for MS Pain Editor’s note: “Need to Knowā is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by the forum post “Need advice about CBD oil,” published on Nov. 1, 2018. Share your…
May 11, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD MMJ Can Ship Cannabis Products to US for Clinical Testing, Agencies Say MMJ International HoldingsĀ announced that it has been given clearance to ship its cannabis-based products to the U.S. for use in future clinical trials of potential cannabis-based treatment forĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) and Huntingtonās disease. The process was facilitated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement AgencyĀ (DEA), which worked alongside…
March 31, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Canada Rules EHP-101, Potential Cannabidiol Treatment, Not Controlled Substance EHP-101, a cannabidiol-derived investigational therapy being developed by Emerald Health PharmaceuticalsĀ (EHP)Ā to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), is not a controlled substance in Canada, the company announced. The active ingredient in EHP-101 is a derivative of cannabidiol, abbreviated CBD. This is one of the most well-known active compounds in…
March 12, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD THC:CBD Oral Spray Sativex Provides Consistent Relief for Treatment-resistant MS Spasticity Sativex (nabiximols), a THC:CBD oral spray, consistently relieves the pain and severity of treatment-resistant spasticityĀ in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a recent study. An analysis of theĀ Sativex as Add-on therapy Vs. further optimizedĀ first-line ANTispasticsĀ (SAVANT) study revealed that Sativex, used in…
December 9, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Atlas Biotechnologies to Fund Research into Cannabis Treatment for MS, Similar Diseases Atlas BiotechnologiesĀ will fund and provide support to three research projects at the University of AlbertaĀ to possibly identify cannabis component(s) that could help people with neurological diseases likeĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The cannabis plant produces hundreds of biological compounds, the best-known being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ā the psychoactive compound primarily…
November 25, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Immunoadsorption, MS Therapies Approval, Cannabis-based Capsules for Study, Pregnancy and MS Immunoadsorption May Be Superior to Plasma Exchange in Treating Steroid-resistant Relapses in MS Steroids may be an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis relapses, but they have negative side effects. Many people report a metallic taste, while others find it hard to sleep. And long-term use can affect bone…
November 20, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc MMJ Enters Agreement to Produce Cannabis-based Capsules for Clinical Trials in MS and Huntingtonās MMJ International HoldingsĀ announced that it has entered into an agreement for the production of its proprietary cannabis-based gel capsule ā a product mix of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) ā in compliance with guidelines set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
September 18, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS FTC Warns Companies Against Unsubstantiated Advertising of CBD Products for MS The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent warning letters to three companies that sell cannabis-based products containing cannabidiol (CBD), cautioning them that making unsubstantiated claims about the health benefits of CBD could lead to legal action. The agency “urges the companies to review all claims made for their…
August 27, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Phase 1 Clinical Trial of EHP-101 Concludes with Positive Safety Results The first in-human clinical trial of EHP-101, an investigational treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) and systemic scleroderma (SSc), has been successfully completed,Ā Emerald Health PharmaceuticalsĀ (EHP) announced. EHP-101 demonstrated it was safe and well-tolerated in healthy volunteers, supporting further clinical development ofĀ EHP-101 in future Phase 2 clinical trials. The…
August 14, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD US Agency Asked to OK Cannabinoid Shipments from Canada to Support Studies in MS, MMJ Announces MMJ International Holdings, a pharmaceutical company whose focus is plant-derived cannabis products for therapeutic purposes, has requested permission to ship tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) from Canada to the U.S. to be used in upcoming clinical trials for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and Huntington’s disease. MMJ-001…
August 8, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Medical Marijuana Now Available to MS and Other Patients in Louisiana Medical cannabis products, jointly developed by GB Sciences Louisiana (GBSL) and the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center‘s (LSU AgCenter)Ā Therapeutic Cannabis Program, are now available for purchase by qualified patients with illnesses that includeĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) at nine state-licensed pharmacies. The decision, announced by the Louisiana Department…
August 5, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Under-the-skin CBD Infusion With Valeritas’ h-Patch Device Prolongs Therapy Effects, Study Finds Valeritas Holdings‘ proprietary h-Patch device can be used to administer cannabidiol by an under-the-skin (subcutaneous) infusion, prolonging the time the medication remains in circulation in the body and maximizing its therapeutic effects, a preclinical study has found. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabis-derived, purified liquid formulation that has…
July 9, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Cannabidiol-based Oral Treatment Seen to Promote Remyelination in Mice, Trial Planned in MS Patients EHP-101, a cannabidiol-based experimental therapy for multiple sclerosis, was able to recover myelin in damaged nerve fibers and lessen neuroinflammation in a mouse model of MS, data show. Emerald Health Therapeutics, the manufacturer of EHP-101, also announced plans to open Phase 2 clinical trials in patients by…
April 23, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Main Ingredient in Potential MS Therapy EHP-101 Not a Controlled Substance, DEA Rules The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)Ā has determined that theĀ cannabidiol-based active ingredient of EHP-101, an investigational oral treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā under development by Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals (EHP), should not be classified…
December 14, 2018 News by Santiago Gisler MS Patients Report Beneficial Effects of Cannabis With Few Side Effects, Survey Shows Many multiple sclerosis (MS) patients report that cannabis has beneficial effects on their symptoms with minimal side effects, according to a survey that also showed that varying effects on health may be due to differences in how users consume cannabis. Findings from the survey were reported in the…
September 4, 2018 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Spasticity Scales May Not Be Sufficiently Informative of Sativex Benefits in MS Patients, Small Study Suggests Spasticity scales may be insufficient to reflect the actual benefits of Sativex (nabiximols) treatment on spasticity symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small case series study. The results support the need to conduct a more extensive and functional examination to clarify treatment responses and help…
August 28, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD MMJ International Asks FDA to Approve Studies of Cannabis-based Therapies MMJ International has filed two applications with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting permission to begin clinical studies testing its pharmaceutical grade cannabis-based therapies in easing symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis and Huntingtonās disease. āThe filing of these applications with the FDA brings us one step…
August 24, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Cannabidiol Increases Inflammatory Suppressor Cells, New MS Mouse Study Shows Non-psychoactiveĀ cannabidiol (CBD), one of the active compounds in medicalĀ cannabis, significantly reduced clinical signs of multiple sclerosis (MS)-like disease in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model. Researchers found that CBD promoted the increase of inflammatory-suppressor cells calledĀ myeloid-derived suppressor cells. The findings were reported in the study āCannabidiol Attenuates Experimental Autoimmune…
August 24, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Work Showing Potential of EHP-101 in MS Earns Research Award Carmen Navarrete, PhD, has been granted a Scientific Innovation Award for her post-doctoral presentation suggesting that theĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) treatment candidateĀ EHP-101Ā is anti-inflammatory and may boost remyelination,Ā Emerald Health PharmaceuticalsĀ announced. Navarrete, a senior scientist at Vivacell Biotechnology Espana, a company owned by Emerald Health Research, received the award at the…
June 13, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MMJ Bioscience Files Request with FDA to Open Phase 2 Study of Medical Cannabis in Progressive MS MMJ Bioscience, which specializes in medical cannabis products, has filed a request with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to open Phase 2 clinical trials evaluating the companyās THC/CBD pharmaceutical compounds as possible treatments for symptoms ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). THC refers to the tetrahydrocannabinol compound, part of the…
June 7, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #CMSC2018 ā Pharmacist Discusses Advances, Challenges in Cannabinoids Research to Treat MS Several studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of cannabis and its derivate products to manage the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. But there is still much to be done to enhance their use and accessibility to patients who may benefit from these therapies, according to…