February 20, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Nabiximols, cannabis-based spray, eases spasticity in real-world use Nabiximols, a cannabis-based oral spray sold as Sativex, was reported to considerably ease spasticity ā unusual muscle tightness or stiffness ā in about two-thirds of the multiple sclerosis (MS) patients using it for three months in a real-world study in Germany. For most patients, the treatment also…
October 23, 2023 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Sativex reimbursed in Ireland for eligible MS patients with spasticity Nabiximols, the cannabis-based oral spray sold as Sativex, is available for reimbursement as an add-on therapy for moderate to severe spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Ireland who failed to respond as intended to other spasticity medications. Marked by muscle stiffness and involuntary spasms or twitches,…
April 3, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Sativex eases MS spasticity and related symptoms in real-life study Real-world use of nabiximols, an oral spray cannabinoid treatment, was associated with a self-reported easing of spasticity and related symptoms for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study in Austria. Most patients (87.5%) said they were at least partly satisfied with the therapy ā available…
March 28, 2023 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Use of cannabis-based products tied to severity of MS disability, pain Cannabis-based products are more likely to be used byĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with higher levels of disability and pain than those with lesser disability or pain,Ā according to a study of findings in Spain and France. This āmay encourage health authorities to consider relaxing the barriers to cannabis use for…
July 8, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias Trial Results a Setback for US Approval of Nabiximols for MS Spasticity This news seems disappointing: A Phase 3 clinical trial of nabiximols ā which is available under the brand name Sativex in several countries, including Canada and most of Europe ā has failed to meet its primary goal of reducing leg spasticity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Nabiximols…
July 5, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Assistive Device Makes It Easier to Self-administer Nabiximols: Study An assistive device made it significantly easier and more comfortable for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with arm and hand mobility problems to self-administer nabiximols ā an oral spray containing compounds found in the cannabis plant ā a study found. Trained nurses involved in the study agreed with its…
June 29, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Nabiximols Fails to Meet Trial Goal of Easing Leg Spasticity The Phase 3 RELEASE MSS1 clinical trial testing nabiximols oral spray failed to meet its primary goal of easing leg spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to Jazz Pharmaceuticals, the company currently developing the nabiximols clinical program. Enrolling 68 MS patients,…
March 28, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: aHSCT, Cannabis, Smell Test, Telemedicine Stem Cell Transplant Gaining Ground as MS Therapy Option This comprehensive look at stem cell transplants by Multiple Sclerosis News Today writer Hawken Miller is one of the best overviews of the possible benefits and dangers and the current status of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) that…
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 18, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: AHSCT for SPMS, Rituximab, Sativex, Smoking This week’s column focuses on stories from Multiple Sclerosis News Today reporters who have been following the annual Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, or ECTRIMS. #ECTRIMS2021 ā Stem Cell Transplant May Better Treat SPMS Than DMTs This presentation involves autologous…
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…
August 23, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Ocrevus, Probiotics, Floodlight App, Sativex in UK Trial Will Test Ocrevus on Arm, Hand Function in PPMS A lot of the focus in MS treatment and clinical trials is placed on walking ability. It seems to me that only recently has attention been paid to above-the-waist disabilities. I know that many people with MS have problems…
August 20, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Barriers Limit Sativex Access for Patients With Spasticity in UK Sativex (nabiximols), a cannabis-based oral spray approved in the U.K. to ease spasticity ā or muscle stiffness and spasms ā in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), remains unavailable to many patients there, according to a report by the MS Society UK. Sativex is the only licensed…
August 16, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Mavenclad, Sativex, Mistreatment, Patient Survey Trial Will Test Mavenclad for Advanced Progressive MS I often think that researchers have forgotten about people whose MS has progressed to an advanced stage. But MS patients who have moved into a wheelchair deserve treatment with a disease-modifying therapy as much as those who are just beginning their…
August 10, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Third Phase 3 Trial of Sativex, Cannabis Extract for MS Spasticity, Planned Jazz Pharmaceuticals is planning to open a third Phase 3 clinical trial ofĀ Sativex (nabiximols), an oral spray that contains cannabis extracts, as an add-on treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and spasticity, the company announced. Set to start this year, the RELEASE MSS5…
July 8, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Sativex Eased MS Spasticity as an Add-on Therapy Sativex (nabiximols), an oral spray that contains cannabis extracts, was found effective as an add-on therapy for easing spasticityĀ in adultĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patients who failed to respond to other anti-spastic treatments,Ā a real-world study from Belgium reports. Overall, about 74% patients reported easing of spasticity ā muscle stiffness or…
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 13, 2021 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD GW Pharma Plans More Clinical Trials for Sativex GW Pharmaceuticals is planning to continue recruiting patientsĀ into two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials of Sativex (nabiximols), an oral spray that contains cannabis extracts and is being investigated as a potential add-on therapy for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and spasticity. The company also is…
November 9, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Age and DMTs, Tysabri or Gilenya, Sativex Trial, Ocrevus and Mayzent Phase 3 Trial of Sativex, Cannabis Extract Treatment for MS Spasticity, Opens in US This is a major step toward making a clinically tested, cannabis-based medication available in the U.S. I’ve always thought that medications containing a THC/CBD combination are useful to lessen some MS symptoms, but the lack…
November 5, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Phase 3 Trial of Sativex, Cannabis Extract Treatment for MS Spasticity, Opens in US A Phase 3 trial is underway in the U.S. to assess the safety and efficacy of SativexĀ (nabiximols), an oral spray that contains cannabis extracts, in treating spasticity ā muscle stiffness or spasms ā associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Sativex, by…
May 12, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Spasticity Scales May Not Reflect Sativex Benefits in MS Patients, Study Suggests SativexĀ (nabiximols) eases spasticity-associated symptoms in multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patients, including those with no significant improvements in a validated spasticity scale, according to a large study from Italy. The findings support previous studies suggesting that spasticity scales may not be enough to evaluate patientsā responses to Sativex and to…
March 16, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Coronavirus Updates, MD1003 Trial Fails to Meet Goals, Sativex and Spasticity Relief, NurOwn Trial Site Announced Second Phase 3 Trial of MedDayās MD1003 for Progressive MS Fails to Meet Goals This is disappointing news about what scientists had hoped would be another oral disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis. It’s doubly disappointing because MD1003 is aimed at progressive forms of MS and demyelination, and we need…
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…
November 13, 2019 News by Mary Chapman Sativex, Cannabis Extract for MS Spasticity, Now Available to Select Patients in England The cannabis sativa plant extract SativexĀ is a cost-effective therapy for spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS) and can be offered to patients in England needing it on at least a monthlong trial basis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said in issuing a final…
August 12, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD NICE and NHS England Oppose Sativex to Treat Spasticity in MS, Urge More Studies of Medical Cannabis A draft guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), a U.K. advisory board, and a reviewĀ by Englandās National Health Service (NHS) call for more research into medical cannabis forĀ multiple sclerosisĀ and other conditions. NICE also recommended against prescribingĀ SativexĀ as a treatment for…
October 11, 2018 News by BioNews Staff #ECTRIMS2018 ā Data from 2 EU Trials Shows Effectiveness of Cannabidiol Spray in Treating Spasticity Data from two European trials ā a real-life study in Italy, and a long-term Czech trial looking at impact on cognition ā supported the efficacy of a widely approved cannabinoid spray in treating moderate to severe spasticity (muscular stiffness or involuntary spasms) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who…
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…
June 29, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD Sativex Relieves Pain in MS Patients, Italian Study Confirms Researchers confirmed that Sativex spray is beneficial in alleviating pain in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and also improved their pain sensitivity to cold temperatures. The study reporting the findings, āPain Modulation after Oromucosal Cannabinoid Spray (SATIVEX) in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Study with Quantitative…
May 22, 2018 News by Diogo Pinto Sativex Can Improve Driving Ability of MS Patients, Study Says Sativex, a cannabis-based anti-spasticity medicine commercialized as oromucosal spray by GW Pharmaceuticals, improves the driving ability of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to researchers. The findings were published in the journal Brain and Behavior, in a study titled āThe influence of THC:CBD oromucosal spray…
January 25, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Holland Approves Clinical Trial Plans for AXIM’s Cannabis-based Gum for MS Pain and Spasticity Dutch regulators have signed off onĀ AXIM Biotechnologies’Ā clinical trial plans forĀ a chewing gum that offers controlled release of cannabinoids to treat multiple sclerosis patients’ pain and spasticity. The Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board’s sign-off on MedChew Rx means AXIM can start trials. A leader in cannabinoid research, New York-based AXIM…