Studies have failed to prove that a cannabis extract can make a significant difference to patients with multiple sclerosis, experts say today.
Studies have suggested the cannabis drug can help – but today’s analysis says they have only been conducted over short periods.
The drug Sativex is taken as a mouth spray and contains two extracts of cannabis, dronabinol and cannabidiol.
According to the report in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, not one trial has sought to compare Sativex with existing drugs for multiple sclerosis.
In many studies the drug was tested for periods of between six weeks and four months, it says.
And one study with a substantial number of participants found no effect on patient symptoms as people who took the drug and those who took a placebo suffered similar problems.
The findings made it "difficult to identify the place of this product in clinical practice," the researchers say.
Journal editor Dr James Cave said the findings were "disappointing."
"Multiple sclerosis is a serious and disabling condition, and it would be great to say that this drug could make a big difference, but the benefit is only modest," he said.
What place for cannabis extract in MS? DTB December 2012; Vol 50, No 12
Leave a Reply