A synthetic drug derived from marijuana reduced mortality and eased intracranial pressure in patients suffering from severe head injuries, results from a study involving 67 patients demonstrated. Patients treated with the drug, known as Dexanabinol, were also more likely “to resume to a normal life” than those not treated with the drug.
“These results add to the growing body of evidence indicating that compounds in marijuana reduce damage to the brain caused by head trauma, strokes, and spinal cord injuries,” announced Paul Armentano, director of publications and research for The NORML Foundation.
Research demonstrates that Dexanabinol protects healthy brain cells after trauma by blocking the neurotransmitter, glutamate. Head trauma and strokes cause the release of excessive glutamate, often resulting in irreversible damage to brain cells.
“These [latest] study results are promising and open the door to a Phase III study (large human trial) in the U.S. and Europe next year,” announced Haim Aviv, chairman and CEO of Pharmos Corporation, which licenses Dexanabinol. He estimated that a Phase III study would involve trials with 700 to 900 patients and take nearly two years to complete.
The study’s lead investigator, Dr. Nachshon Knoller of the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, said that no drugs are currently approved to treat severe head trauma. Head injuries are the leading cause of death among U.S. children and young adults, he added.
Similar medical marijuana research conducted this July by researchers at the National Institutes for Mental Health found that the cannabinoids THC and cannabidiol (CBD) also appear to protect the brain against toxic levels of glutamate.
For more information, please contact either NORML Foundation Vice-Chairman Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School @ (617) 277-3621 or Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751.