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Summary
Background Almost a third of patients with epilepsy have a treatment-resistant form, which is associated with severe Lancet Neurol 2015
morbidity and increased mortality. Cannabis-based treatments for epilepsy have generated much interest, but Published Online
scientic data are scarce. We aimed to establish whether addition of cannabidiol to existing anti-epileptic regimens December 23, 2015
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
would be safe, tolerated, and ecacious in children and young adults with treatment-resistant epilepsy.
S1474-4422(15)00379-8
*These authors contributed
Methods In this open-label trial, patients (aged 130 years) with severe, intractable, childhood-onset, treatment- equally
resistant epilepsy, who were receiving stable doses of antiepileptic drugs before study entry, were enrolled in an Comprehensive Epilepsy Center,
expanded-access programme at 11 epilepsy centres across the USA. Patients were given oral cannabidiol at 25 mg/kg New York University Langone
per day, up-titrated until intolerance or to a maximum dose of 25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg per day (dependent on study Medical Center, New York, NY,
site). The primary objective was to establish the safety and tolerability of cannabidiol and the primary ecacy endpoint USA (Prof O Devinsky MD,
D Friedman MD, J Bluvstein MD,
was median percentage change in the mean monthly frequency of motor seizures at 12 weeks. The ecacy analysis J Hedlund RN); Departments of
was by modied intention to treat. Comparisons of the percentage change in frequency of motor seizures were done Neurology and Pediatrics,
with a Mann-Whitney U test. Division of Child Neurology,
Childrens Hospital of
Philadelphia and the Perelman
Results Between Jan 15, 2014, and Jan 15, 2015, 214 patients were enrolled; 162 (76%) patients who had at least School of Medicine at the
12 weeks of follow-up after the rst dose of cannabidiol were included in the safety and tolerability analysis, and University of Pennsylvania,
137 (64%) patients were included in the ecacy analysis. In the safety group, 33 (20%) patients had Dravet syndrome Philadelphia, PA, USA
(E Marsh MD, R Kamens,
and 31 (19%) patients had Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The remaining patients had intractable epilepsies of dierent
J Maclean MD); Massachusettes
causes and type. Adverse events were reported in 128 (79%) of the 162 patients within the safety group. Adverse events General Hospital for Children,
reported in more than 10% of patients were somnolence (n=41 [25%]), decreased appetite (n=31 [19%]), diarrhoea Boston, MA, USA
(n=31 [19%]), fatigue (n=21 [13%]), and convulsion (n=18 [11%]). Five (3%) patients discontinued treatment because of (Prof E Thiele MD, P Bruno RN);
Ann & Robert H Lurie Childrens
an adverse event. Serious adverse events were reported in 48 (30%) patients, including one deatha sudden
Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL,
unexpected death in epilepsy regarded as unrelated to study drug. 20 (12%) patients had severe adverse events possibly USA (L Laux MD, S Nangia MD);
related to cannabidiol use, the most common of which was status epilepticus (n=9 [6%]). The median monthly Departments of Neurology and
frequency of motor seizures was 300 (IQR 110960) at baseline and 158 (56576) over the 12 week treatment Pediatrics, Benioff Childrens
Hospital, University of
period. The median reduction in monthly motor seizures was 365% (IQR 0647).
California, San Francisco,
San Francisco, CA, USA
Interpretation Our ndings suggest that cannabidiol might reduce seizure frequency and might have an adequate (J Sullivan MD, N Tilton CRNP,
safety prole in children and young adults with highly treatment-resistant epilepsy. Randomised controlled trials are N S Singhal MD, Prof
M R Cilio MD); Miami Childrens
warranted to characterise the safety prole and true ecacy of this compound.
Hospital, Miami, FL, USA
(I Miller MD); Pediatric and
Funding GW Pharmaceuticals, Epilepsy Therapy Project of the Epilepsy Foundation, Finding A Cure for Epilepsy and Adolescent
Seizures. Neurodevelopmental
Associates, Atlanta, GA, USA
(R Flamini MD); Texas Childrens
Introduction extracts, particularly in children with a developing brain, Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Derivatives from the cannabis plant, Cannabis sativa, is limited by the psychoactive properties and the adverse (A Wilfong MD); University of
have long been used as a treatment for many disorders, eects associated with long-term tetrahydrocannabinol Utah Medical Center and
Primary Childrens Hospital,
from anorexia to pain.1 Anecdotal reports suggest that use. The potential adverse eects of tetrahydrocannabinol- Salt Lake City, UT, USA
cannabis extracts can reduce seizures.24 Cannabis containing drugs in adolescents include cognitive (F Filloux MD, C A Wilson MD);
contains more than 80 phytocannabinoids and, although impairment and chronic psychiatric disturbances.6 The Wake Forest School of
little is known about the potential therapeutic eects of potential toxic eects of tetrahydrocannabinol and other Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC,
USA (M Wong MD); and
most of these molecules, two compoundstetrahydro- cannabis constituents have not yet been studied in Nationwide Childrens Hospital,
cannabiniol and cannabidiolhave garnered the most younger children (<12 years) who might be more Columbus, OH, USA (A Patel MD)
attention based on their abundance in the plant. vulnerable than adolescents to these and other potential Correspondence to:
Tetrahydrocannabinol, the major psychoactive adverse eects. Dr Orrin Devinsky, New York
cannabinoid, has been shown to have both anticonvulsant In the past few years, enormous interest has been University Langone Medical
Center, New York,
and proconvulsant eects in animal studies of seizures.5 generated by social and news media about the benecial NY 10016, USA
The potential medical use of whole-plant cannabis eects of non-puried medical marijuana, with high od4@nyu.edu
Research in context
Evidence before this study Added value of this study
Anecdotal evidence has long suggested that cannabis might This multicentre study provides the rst prospectively
have a role in control of epileptic seizures. We searched PubMed collected data of cannabidiol use in patients with epilepsy. Our
for English-language studies published between Nov 1, 1970, ndings provide the rst estimates of safety, tolerability, and
and Oct 15, 2015, with the search terms cannabidiol ecacy of this compound in children and young adults with
and epilepsy and cannabis and epilepsy. Our search identied treatment-resistant epilepsy.
several preclinical studies, from the 1980s to the past few years,
Implications of all the available evidence
of the eect of cannabidiol on electrical convulsant and
By comparison with previous studies, which could not obtain
chemoconvulsant models. Four small randomised studies of
robust conclusions, our study is the rst to provide evidence
cannabidiol-based preparations showed an absence of serious
that cannabidiol might be an eective treatment option for
side-eects, and two of these studies suggested some ecacy,
children and young adults with intractable epilepsy.
but all studies were too small to provide denite answers. We
Randomised controlled trials are warranted to characterise the
additionally found two papers that used parental surveys of the
safety prole and true ecacy of this compound.
eect of non-puried preparations of cannabis-based products
for paediatric epilepsy.
ratios of cannabidiol to tetrahydrocannabinol, in children epilepsy, and the intense interest from our patients
with treatment-resistant epilepsies, especially Dravet families in obtaining cannabis, we did this study to test
syndrome.79 Preclinical evidence showing the anti- whether cannabidiol as an add-on treatment to
convulsant properties of cannabidiol in animals supports conventional anti-epileptic drugs would be safe, tolerated,
this focus on preparations with high cannabidiol and ecacious in children and young adults with highly
content.5,10 Furthermore, two of four previous trials in treatment-resistant epilepsy.
humans suggested modest benets in seizure control11
and good tolerability, with patients experiencing mild or Methods
no side-eects. However, these trials were all too small Study design and patients
(between nine and 15 patients) to adequately assess We did this prospective, open-label, expanded-access trial
See Online for appendix ecacy. at 11 independent epilepsy centres in the USA (appendix
Insucient preclinical and clinical data, in addition to p 1). Inclusion criteria for entry into the physician-
anecdotal reports from the past few years, have sponsored, expanded-access programmes varied
intersected with a need for more eective therapies for dependent on site-specic protocols. However, patients at
treatment-resistant epilepsy, which has created a demand all sites were aged 130 years, had intractable childhood-
for access to cannabidiol-based treatments by patients onset epilepsy, had four or more countable seizures with a
and families. As such, many US states have approved the motor component per 4 week period, and were receiving
use of medical marijuana for children and adults with stable doses of antiepileptic drugs for at least 4 weeks
epilepsy. Unfortunately, few well designed and conducted before enrolment. If patients were undergoing dietary
safety or ecacy studies of cannabidiol have been done treatment (eg, ketogenic or modied Atkins diet), the ratio
in humans. However, safety data are available for of fat to carbohydrate and protein needed to be stable for
cannabidiol-containing compounds in adults with pain 4 weeks before entering the study; similarly, in individuals
and multiple sclerosis-related spasticity.12 A pooled with a vagus nerve stimulator, settings had to be stable for
analysis of randomised trials of Sativex (GW 4 weeks. Because each of the 11 study sites applied for
Pharmaceuticals, London, UK), an oromucosal spray their own investigational new drug registration for the
containing cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol in a expanded-access programme, there was some variability
1:1 ratio, showed no serious adverse events.13 Common in eligibility criteria between centres. Specically, some
mild or moderate adverse events included oral pain, patients were taking more than four antiepileptic drugs
dizziness, diarrhoea, nausea, oral mucosal disorder, bad (up to seven drugs in a few patients) and some patients
taste, dry mouth, fatigue, heading, and somnolence.13 did not have seizures with a prominent, sustained, and
Because these compounds contain tetrahydrocannabinol, countable motor component. The appendix lists numbers
which is responsible for many of these eects, fewer of participants enrolled at each site.
adverse eects of cannabidiol alone are expected, and Study-wide exclusion criteria included previous or
those that do occur (such as somnolence) are expected to current treatment with cannabis-based therapy. Most
be less severe. However this hypothesis remains sites also excluded patients with baseline liver, renal, or
undened in a paediatric epilepsy population. haematological laboratory abnormalities, or initiation of
Given the scarcity of safety and ecacy data for felbamate or vigabatrin within 6 months of the rst clinic
cannabidiol use in children and young adults with severe visit. The institutional review boards at each study site
approved the study. Parents or patients provided written monthly frequency of motor seizures at 12 weeks. Mean
informed consent, and assent according to patients monthly seizure frequency was calculated at each 4 week
physical and mental capability. visit as (number of seizures since last visit)/(days since
last visit) 28. Median percentage change was calculated
Procedures because patients had a wide range of seizure frequencies.
After enrolment patients had a 4 week pre-cannabidiol Percentage change in seizure frequency for each patient
baseline period during which parents or caregivers kept was calculated as:
prospective seizure diaries. They were asked to report
countable, discrete seizures with a sustained (>3 s) motor post- seizure frequency week 4 visit
component (henceforth referred to as motor seizures); cannabidiol = + seizure frequency week 8 visit
seizure types include tonic-clonic, tonic, clonic, atonic, seizure + seizure frequency week 1
and focal seizures with prominent motor features.
Although myoclonic jerks, absences, and non-motor 3
complex partial seizures were counted, they were not
considered part of the primary outcome because of
diculties in counting their frequency in this population % change post-cannabidiol seizure
with severe epilepsies. After the observation period, seizure = baseline seizure frequency 100
patients then received a 99% pure oil-based cannabidiol frequency
extract of constant composition (Epidiolex, GW baseline seizure
Pharmaceuticals, London, UK), in a 100 mg per mL frequency
sesame oil-based solution (at study onset GW
Pharmaceuticals provided a 25 mg per mL solution, Motor seizures can be more reliably counted by observers
which was later discontinued) administered orally or by than subjective (impaired awareness) or transient
gastric tube. (myoclonic jerks) events in children and young adults,
Cannabidiol at a dose of 25 mg/kg per day divided in most of whom had a degree of intellectual disability or
twice-daily dosing was added to the baseline antiepileptic epileptic encephalopathy. Thus, this endpoint was chosen
drug regimen, then up-titrated by 25 mg/kg once a in view of concern about potential parental bias due to
week until intolerance or a maximum dose of 25 mg/kg media attention and desire for the patient to receive
per day was reached. At some sites, the institutional cannabidiol. For the secondary ecacy analysis we
review board and the US Food and Drug Administration assessed the median percentage change in other seizure
(FDA) allowed an increase to a maximum dose of types, including tonic, atonic, tonic-clonic, focal non-
50 mg/kg per day. For the rst 3 months of cannabidiol motor, and total seizures. We also examined the response
treatment, eorts were made to keep concomitant doses rate for all seizure types, dened as patients whose
of antiepileptic drug constant. However, in some cases, reduction in mean monthly seizure frequency was
sedation after addition of cannabidiol led to decreases in greater than 50%, 70%, or 90% over the study observation
those antiepileptic drugs, as clinically indicated. No period. Response rate was calculated from individual
concomitant antiepileptic drug was withdrawn during patient percentage reductions. Because of the long
the study. titration phase for cannabidiol, we also examined the
All seizures were recorded by parents or caregivers on median percentage change in seizure frequency during
paper diaries and reviewed by the study team at each the nal 4 weeks of the observation period.
clinic visit. Tolerability and adverse eects were assessed
every 2 weeks by use of the Liverpool Adverse Events Statistical analysis
Prole14 or the Pediatric Epilepsy Side Eects The study sample size was not predetermined, but based
Questionnaire,15 depending on age. Additional variables on patient enrolment at the study sites. Comparisons of
measured prospectively in patient diaries were use of the percentage change in frequency of motor seizures
rescue medications, episodes of status epilepticus, and were done with a Mann-Whitney U test. Cannabidiol is a
emergency room visits or hospital admissions. Laboratory potent inhibitor of CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 (the P450
studies for haematology, electrolytes, liver and kidney isozyme for the clearance of N-desmethylclobazam, the
function, and concentrations of antiepileptic drugs and long-acting active metabolite of clobazam) in addition to
cannabidiol were done at baseline, and after 4, 8, and other CYP isozymes,16 with the potential to increase
12 weeks of cannabidiol treatment, or more frequently serum concentrations of background antiepileptic drugs
depending on the site-specic protocol. and their active metabolites.17,18 Therefore, in a post-hoc
analysis, we explored whether potential pharmacokinetic
Outcomes or pharmacokinetic interactions between cannabidiol
The primary endpoint was to establish the safety and and other antiepileptic drugs could potentiate antiseizure
tolerability of cannabidiol, and the primary ecacy eects. We did a multiple logistic regression analysis as
outcome was median percentage change in the mean part of our post-hoc analysis to investigate the association
between background clobazam and valproate use and period and were included in the analysis with the last
50% rate of response to cannabidiol, with adjustments observation carried forward (gure 1). Reasons for
for age, sex, and the total number of background withdrawal included allergy to the sesame oil vehicle,
antiepileptic drugs. Additional post-hoc analysis was hepatoxicity, excessive somnolence and poor ecacy,
done to examine the association between maximum gastrointestinal intolerance, worsening seizures, and
cannabidiol dose and frequency of adverse events and hyperammonemia (gure 1). Additionally, 25 (15%)
reported somnolence with Spearmans correlation. The patients included in the safety analysis were not included
ecacy analysis was by modied intention to treat. We in the ecacy analysis (gure 1). Table 1 shows the baseline
did analyses with IBM SPSS (version 22). clinical and demographic characteristics of patients in the
safety and ecacy analysis groups. The most common
Role of the funding source epilepsy syndromes treated were Dravet syndrome and
GW Pharmaceuticals had no role in study design, data Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (table 2, appendix p 2).
analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report, or Titration to a maximum dose of 50 mg/kg per day was
in the decision to submit the paper for publication. GW done in 48 (30%) patients, 23 of whom received a dose of
Pharmaceuticals collated the data that were collected at more than 25 mg/kg per day during the 12 week
each site, and had a role in data collection at one site, for observation period; only 19 patients were receiving
which data were sent directly to OD and DF for analysis. >25 mg/kg per day at the week 12 visit. The maximum
The corresponding author had full access to all the data dose at the 12 week visit was 41 mg/kg per day. Five (3%)
in the study and had nal responsibility for the decision patients were titrated to 50 mg/kg per day during the
to submit for publication. 12 weeks, but their dose was reduced before the week 12
visit. The mean cannabidiol dose at 12 weeks was
Results 229 mg/kg (SD 91) in the safety analysis group and
Between Jan 15, 2014, and Jan 15, 2015, 214 patients were 227 mg/kg (85) in the ecacy analysis group.
enrolled in expanded-access programmes at the Adverse events were reported in 128 (79%) of the
participating institutions (gure 1). 162 (76%) patients 162 patients within the safety group. Events reported in
were included in the safety analysis, including 11 (7%)
patients who stopped cannabidiol before 12 weeks. Safety analysis Ecacy analysis
137 (64%) patients met our inclusion and exclusion criteria group (n=162) group (n=137)
for ecacy analysis, including ten patients who Sex
discontinued treatment during the 12 week observation
Female 82 (51%) 70 (51%)
Male 80 (49%) 67 (49%)
Age (years) 105 (09262) 105 (1222)
214 patients enrolled
Background antiepileptic 3 (07) 3 (07)
drugs
52 enrolled but did not have 12 weeks of Total daily treatments 3 (17) 3 (17)
follow-up after rst dose of cannabidiol Receiving vagal nerve 17 (10%) 14 (10%)
stimulation
On a ketogenic diet (%) 13 (8%) 12 (9%)
11 stopped treatment before 12 weeks
1 sesame allergy Receiving clobazam (%) 85 (52%) 69 (50%)
1 hepatoxic event Receiving valproate (%) 48 (30%) 41 (30%)
1 excessive somnolence and poor ecacy
1 gastrointestinal intolerance Seizure types
4 worsening seizures and poor ecacy Focal 60 (36%) 42 (31%)
1 hyperammonaemia
Monthly frequency 163 (40555) 140 (30530)
1 unknown
1 sudden unexpected death in epilepsy Tonic 66 (41%) 65 (47%)
Monthly frequency 360 (5088) 400 (50880)
Atonic 32 (20%) 32 (23%)
162 included in safety analysis
Monthly frequency 145 (7390) 145 (70390)
Tonic-clonic 92 (57%) 89 (65%)
25 excluded Monthly frequency 100 (35225) 100 (40250)
1 aged <1 year
Motor 138 (85%) 137 (100%)
2 had progressive NCL disorders19
21 had no motor seizures Monthly frequency 295 (110960) 300 (110960)
Total seizures 162 (100%) 137 (100%)
Monthly frequency 605 (196151) 600 (2201318)
137 included in intention-to-treat ecacy analysis
Data are n (%), median (range), or median (IQR).
more than 5% of patients were somnolence, decreased (eg, fatigue) at week 12 (Spearmans rho 0029, p=034).
appetite, diarrhoea, fatigue, convulsions, appetite changes, However, patients who were taking more than 15 mg/kg
status epilepticus, lethargy, changes in concentrations of per day cannabidiol were more likely to report diarrhoea
concomitant antiepileptic drugs, gait disturbance, and or related side-eects (eg, weight loss) than those taking
sedation (table 3, appendix p 3). Most adverse events were doses less than 15 mg/kg per day (three [9%] of patients
mild or moderate and transient. Serious adverse events receiving a low cannabidiol dose vs 40 [31%] of 128 patients
were reported in 48 (30%) patients, including one deatha receiving a high dose; odds ratio [OR] 45, 95% CI
sudden unexpected death in epilepsy regarded as unrelated 14196). 43 (51%) of the 85 patients also taking
to study drug. Serious adverse events deemed possibly clobazam reported somnolence or fatigue, whereas only
related to cannabidiol use were recorded in 20 patients and 16 (21%) of the 77 patients not taking clobazam reported
included status epilepticus, diarrhoea, pneumonia, and somnolence (OR for somnolence 387, 95% CI 1979).
weight loss (table 3). None of the cases of status epilepticus Baseline median monthly frequency of motor seizures
were associated with preceding reductions in doses of was 300 (IQR 110960) and decreased to 158
background antiepileptic drugs or cannabidiol. There were (56576) over the 12 week treatment period (gure 2).
no clinically signicant changes in white or red blood cell The median change in monthly motor seizures from
counts or renal function. Five (3%) patients had mild to baseline was 365% (IQR 6470 to 0). Five (4%)
moderate thrombocytopenia; one (1%) patient had severe patients were free of all motor seizures during the
thrombocytopenia (8 10/L) that resolved when valproate 12 week treatment period (gure 3).
was stopped. 11 (7%) patients had elevated liver function Post-hoc analysis showed variability in responses of
tests; most were mild but one patient had a signicant individual seizure types to cannabidiol treatment; the
increase in transaminases (recorded as hepatotoxicity) median change in total seizures was 346% (IQR 667 to
leading to discontinuation of cannabidiol (gure 1). All 98), with the greatest reduction occurring in patients
patients with hepatic or platelet abnormalities were also with focal seizures (n=42; 550%, IQR 973 to 44) or
taking valproate. One (1%) patient, also taking valproate,
developed hyperammonaemia, which led to cannabidiol Safety analysis group
discontinuation (gure 1). (n=162)
A post-hoc analysis showed that cannabidiol dose at Adverse events (reported in >5% of patients)
week 12 was not correlated with the number of reported Somnolence 41 (25%)
adverse events overall (Spearmans rho 0014, p=037). Decreased appetite 31 (19%)
Additionally, there was no correlation with cannabidiol Diarrhoea 31 (19%)
dose and reported somnolence and related side-eects Fatigue 21 (13%)
Convulsion 18 (11%)
Increased appetite 14 (9%)
Safety analysis Ecacy analysis
group (n=162) group (n=137) Status epilepticus 13 (8%)
Table 2: Epilepsy syndromes and underlying causes Table 3: Adverse events and treatment-emergent serious adverse events
atonic seizures (n=32; 543%, 915 to 257), followed by more in motor seizures, whereas 29 (21%) had a reduction
tonic seizures (n=65; 365%, 718 to 226) or tonic-clonic of 70% or more and 12 (9%) had a reduction of 90% or
seizures (n=89; 160%, 601 to 353). Two (2%) patients more. For all seizure types, 51 (37%) of patients had a
were free of all seizure types over the entire 12 weeks. reduction of 50% or more, 30 (22%) patients had a
The titration of cannabidiol dose was slow and there response of 70% or more, and 11 (8%) had a response of
was variability between patients, which meant many 90% or more. Of the 32 patients with atonic seizures,
patients had not stabilised their dose until half way 18 (56%) patients had a reduction of 50% or more and ve
through the 12 week observation period. Thus, we also (16%) patients became seizure free of this seizure type. Of
analysed changes in seizure frequency during the nal the 65 patients with tonic seizures, 26 (40%) patients had a
4 weeks of observation only. During this period 15 (11%) reduction of 50% or more and seven (11%) patients became
patients were free of all motor seizures and nine (7%) free of this seizure type and, for the 89 patients with tonic-
patients were free of all seizures during this period. The clonic seizures, 30 (34%) had a reduction of 50% or more
appendix shows the percentage change in monthly and eight (9%) became free of this seizure type.
frequency of all other seizure types. Patients with Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut
Analysis of the secondary endpoint of responder rates syndrome represented a large proportion of our cohort;
showed that 54 (39%) patients had a reduction of 50% or therefore, we did a post-hoc analysis to establish whether
these syndromes had an improved response prole. For
patients with Dravet syndrome in the ecacy group
250
(n=32), the median reduction in monthly motor seizures
was 498% (IQR 643 to 124). 16 (50%) patients had a
200 reduction of 50% or greater and one (3%) patient was
free from motor seizures during the 3 months of
Seizure frequency
200
with atonic seizures (n=14), and 440% (685 to 148) in
150 those with tonic seizures (n=21), but there was no
reduction in tonic-clonic seizures in patients with
100 Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (n=16). During the last
4 weeks of treatment, one (3%) patient was free of all
50 n=5 seizures and three (21%) of 12 patients were free of
n=15
atonic seizures. The percentage change in motor
0 seizures did not dier signicantly between patients
with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and those with Dravet
50 syndrome (Mann-Whitney U 4480, p=065), but this
study was not designed or powered to make this
100 determination.
Results of our post-hoc analysis assessing interactions
Figure 3: Percentage change in monthly frequency of motor seizures in patients in the ecacy analysis group between cannabidiol and antiepileptic drugs showed
(n=137)
Percentage changes for each patient are ordered from greatest increase to greatest decrease. The dashed boxes
that, of the 70 patients in the ecacy group receiving
indicate patients who became free of that seizure type during the 12 week treatment period (blue) or the last clobazam, 36 (51%) had a reduction of 50% or more in
4 weeks of treatment (red). motor seizures, compared with only 18 (27%) of the
67 patients not taking clobazam. Similarly, more patients treatment for inammatory bowel disease on the basis
taking valproate had a reduction of 50% or more in motor of its anti-inammatory eects in animals and ndings
seizures than did those not taking valproate (22 [54%] of of clinical improvement in human studies.20 Liver
41 vs 32 [33%] of 96 patients). In multiple logistic function abnormalities and thrombocytopenia were
regression analysis, only clobazam use independently reported in patients who were also taking valproate.
predicted a reduction of 50% or more in motor seizures Without a control group, we cannot establish whether
(OR 27, 95% CI 1258; p=001). this eect was related to any interaction between
cannabidiol and valproate.
Discussion Common adverse events included somnolence,
In our open-label study, add-on treatment with pure diarrhoea, fatigue, and decreased appetite. Somnolence
cannabidiol led to a clinically meaningful reduction in and fatigue could be partly due to increased
seizure frequency in many patients, and had an adequate concentrations of the clobazam metabolite, N-desmethyl
safety prole in this patient population with highly clobazam, via inhibition of CYP2C19 by cannabidiol.17,18
treatment-resistant epilepsies. The safety and tolerability This active metabolite has anticonvulsant and toxic
of cannabidiol was acceptable, with only ve (3%) of eects (somnolence)21 and an individuals CYP2C19
162 patients stopping treatment because of an adverse genotype has strong eects on the ratio of clobazam to its
event. The ecacy of cannabidiol seems promising, with N-desmethyl metabolite.22 The increased responder rate
reductions of roughly a third in motor seizures and and somnolence or fatigue in patients taking clobazam
overall seizures in the ecacy analysis group. However, might partly reect increases in the N-desmethyl
randomised controlled trials are needed to characterise metabolite. In a study of patients receiving the
the safety prole and true ecacy. cannabidiol Epidiolex,18 N-desmethylclobazam concen-
The adverse event prole of cannabidiol was trations increased by 60% compared to pre-Epidiolex
favourable, with most patients tolerating the drug well concentrations, and that increase was associated with
despite its addition to a median of three concomitant side-eects that resolved with clobazam dose reduction.
antiepileptic drugs. However, the 20% rate of serious Therefore, assessment of the ecacy of cannabidiol in
adverse events was higher than expected, with half these patients not taking clobazam will be important to
events deemed possibly related to cannabidiol. The investigate in future randomised controlled trials.
absence of a control group with severe epilepsies, and Notably, in our study, roughly a quarter of patients not
the high burden of antiepileptic drugs, makes taking clobazam also had a reduction in motor seizures
assessment of the rate of cannabidiol-related serious of 50% or more, including six of the 14 patients who were
adverse events dicult. Surprisingly, only 3% of patients free of motor seizures in the last 4 weeks of the
stopped cannabidiol treatment, even though 12% had a observation period, who were not taking clobazam.
serious adverse event. This result could be because of Patients included in this study were some of the most
parental belief in cannabidiol benets attributable to the treatment-resistant patients at each centre, and had
social media attention, reduced seizure frequency syndromes characterised by poor prognosis, with high
outweighing the serious adverse event, or occurrence of rates of status epilepticus, use of rescue medication, and
similar events before cannabidiol treatment (eg, status sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Many of these
epilepticus). patients had never achieved complete seizure control
Status epilepticus was the most common serious despite treatment with antiepileptic drugs, dietary or
adverse event; this nding was surprising because surgical treatments, or vagus nerve stimulation. The
cannabidiol has been shown not to be proconvulsant in median number of concomitant antiepileptic drugs at
more than 20 animal models of epilepsy.5,10 Status the start of the study was three. In this study, the high
epilepticus is common for many of the disorders rates of seizure reduction, and even seizure freedom for
included in this studynamely, Dravet syndrome and a few patients, suggest clinically meaningful ecacy.
Lennox-Gastaut syndromeand could either represent Additionally, because our observation period included
background uctuation in disease severity or could be the titration period, many patients did not achieve the
related to cannabidiol. In patients who had status target dose of cannabidiol until their 5th or 6th week on
epilepticus during the study, concomitant antiepileptic the study drug, which might have led to underestimation
drugs had not been reduced before status epilepticus of the eect of the drug. Conversely, drugdrug
onset. The only other serious adverse events reported in interactions, particularly the increase in serum
two or more patients were diarrhoea and weight loss, N-desmethylclobazam concentrations, might have played
which might have resulted from cannabidiol use or the a part in seizure control, leading to an overestimation of
sesame oil in which cannabidiol is dissolved, or could be cannabidiol ecacy. For many patients who achieved
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