Do you have a pipeline of cannabinoid product candidates? If so, don’t miss this important paper on the preclinical evaluation of the abuse potential of cannabidiol (CBD).
Two of our experts, David Heal and Sharon Smith, are co-authors of this key publication and we are delighted that it was hand-picked by Susan Wood as the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Editor's Choice in July 2022.
The paper describes the results of self-administration, drug discrimination and physical dependence studies in animals used to support the approval of an oral formulation of CBD (Epidiolex in the US; Epidyolex in Europe), for treating seizures associated with rare and severe forms of epilepsy. CBD did not produce reliable self-administration. It did not increase drug-lever responding in rats trained to discriminate midazolam. Furthermore, CBD did not produce withdrawal signs on discontinuation of chronic treatment.
Demonstrating that CBD was not rewarding and did not produce physical dependence was a prerequisite to ensuring the drug was not scheduled as a Controlled Drug, thus maximizing its availability to prescribers and patients.
The full details of the publication are:
Gray RA, Heal DJ, Maguire DR, Gerak LR, Javors MA, Smith S, France CP. Preclinical assessment of the abuse potential of purified botanical cannabidiol: self-administration, drug discrimination, and physical dependence. J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 2022 Jul; 382(1): 54-65. doi: 10.1124/jpet.121.000988. Epub 2022 Apr 30.
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