Adjunctive Use Approved CBD
Study: Adjunctive Use of FDA-Approved CBD Formulation Reduces Seizures in Pediatric Patients With Rett Syndrome
Milan, Italy: Children and teens diagnosed with Rett Syndrome (RTT) who take Epidiolex experience reductions in seizure frequency, according to data published in the Open Access Journal of the International League Against Epilepsy.
Italian researchers assessed the efficacy of the use of FDA-approved, plant-derived CBD (Epidiolex) in 27 RTT patients with drug-resistant seizures. Participants consumed Epidiolex in conjunction with other medications. The median treatment duration was 14 months.
Following treatment, two-thirds of the cohort exhibited a greater than 50 percent reduction in seizure frequency, with 26 percent of participants experiencing a greater than 75 percent reduction. Many of the patients’ caregivers also observed positive changes beyond seizure control, including better attention, improved sleep, and enhanced motor function. Side effects related to CBD treatment were mild.
“Our findings suggest a strong trend toward the efficacy of CBD in reducing seizure frequency,” the study’s authors concluded. “The consistency of the response, combined with the absence of seizure aggravation and a favorable safety profile, highlights purified cannabidiol (Epidiolex) CBD as a promising therapeutic option for individuals with RTT. Moreover, beyond seizure control, a substantial proportion of patients also showed improvements in behavior, attention, and reactivity – especially among those who responded to treatment – further supporting the potential benefits of CBD in this population.”
A prior study concluded that RTT patients show improvements in alertness, communication skills, anxiety, and other symptoms following the twice-daily use of cannabis extracts containing standardized amounts of CBD and THC.
In 2018, Food and Drug Administration officials granted market approval to Epidiolex, a prescription medicine containing a standardized formulation of plant-derived cannabidiol for the treatment of Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome – two rare forms of childhood epilepsy.
