British researchers have determined that a little-studied chemical in the cannabis plant could lead to effective treatments for epilepsy, with few to no side effects. The team at Britains University of Reading, working with GW Pharmaceuticals and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, tested cannabidivarin, or CBDV, in rats and mice afflicted with six types of epilepsy and found it strongly suppressed seizures without causing the uncontrollable shaking and other side effects of existing anti-epilepsy drugs. According to the findings, reported this week in the British Journal of Pharmacology,CBDV also delayed and reduced seizures when used in conjunction with two common anti-convulsant drugs. There is a pressing need for better treatments for epilepsy, said Dr. Ben Whalley, the lead researcher. Its a chronic condition with no cure and currently, in around one third of cases, the currently available treatments do not work, cause serious side-effects and increase fatalities. The study, he added, highlights the potential for a solution based on cannabinoid science.It has shown that cannabidivarin is the most effective and best tolerated anticonvulsant plant cannabinoid investigated to date. The casual use of marijuana -- or cannabis -- to control seizures dates back to ancient times. Its most prominent component, THC, is among those … Continue reading →

LONDON (Reuters) - A British drug company aims to test a compound found in cannabis as a treatment for epilepsy, following a promising study using the chemical in rats and mice. GW Pharmaceuticals said on Thursday that human clinical trials using cannabidivarin (CBDV) could start in 2013 after University of Reading scientists reported the previously little-studied chemical had potential as an anticonvulsant. CBDV is one of many non-psychoactive cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant and does not cause users to feel 'high.' The pre-clinical tests carried out by Ben Whalley and colleagues at Reading found that rats and mice with induced seizures who were given the compound had less severe attacks than those on a placebo. CBDV was also found to work when combined with drugs currently used to control epilepsy. Nomura Code industry analyst Samir Devani said the data was encouraging but the research was still very early stage. Experts noted that the rats and mice in the study were made epileptic, which is not how the disease occurs in humans, and positive results in animals often do not translate into similarly good results in people. Whalley's work was funded by, and performed in collaboration with, GW and its … Continue reading →

A Cambridge UK pharmaceutical company is planning to exploit the discovery of a new component of cannabis that could lead to better treatments for epilepsy. The work at Reading was funded by, and performed in collaboration with, GW and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals a strategy inspired by GW executive chairman, Geoffrey Guy. The new breakthrough stems from a collaboration between GW and Otsuka signed in July 2007 and which runs until next summer. They agreed to jointly research a range of GW cannabinoids as potential new drug candidates in the field of Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders and oncology. Dr Stephen Wright, R & D director at GW Pharmaceuticals said: These results further underscore the potential of naturally-derived cannabinoids as medicines to treat a broad range of diseases. GW has established a track record of discovering and commercialising such compounds with Sativex now on the market for treating spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis and in late stage development for the treatment of cancer pain. Our research into CBDV has consistently produced highly promising results demonstrating its potential as a novel anticonvulsant and GW hopes during 2013 to advance CBDV into human clinical trials. In the Reading study, cannabidivarin strongly suppressed seizures in … Continue reading →

A British drug company aims to test a compound found in cannabis as a treatment for epilepsy, following a promising study using the chemical in rats and mice. GW Pharmaceuticals said on Thursday that human clinical trials using cannabidivarin (CBDV) could start in 2013 after University of Reading scientists reported the previously little-studied chemical had potential as an anticonvulsant. CBDV is one of many non-psychoactive cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant and does not cause users to feel high'. The pre-clinical tests carried out by Ben Whalley and colleagues at Reading found that rats and mice with induced seizures who were given the compound had less severe attacks than those on a placebo. CBDV was also found to work when combined with drugs currently used to control epilepsy. Nomura Code industry analyst Samir Devani said the data was encouraging but the research was still very early stage. Experts noted that the rats and mice in the study were made epileptic, which is not how the disease occurs in humans, and positive results in animals often do not translate into similarly good results in people. Whalley's work was funded by, and performed in collaboration with, GW and its partner Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. … Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) has issued its new practice guidelines: Health Plan Coverage of Applied Behavior Analysis Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder. The practice guidelines were developed to provide guidance to health plans, consumers, and providers so that individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder receive applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment consistent with the best available scientific evidence and expert clinical opinion. According to BACB CEO James E. Carr, PhD, BCBA-D, "This project was prompted by the recent passage of autism-insurance legislation in multiple states, which has left numerous insurers with a need to develop an infrastructure for defining and funding ABA treatment. Given the multiple unique features of ABA treatment in this area, the BACB wanted to ensure that insurers were provided with the best information possible for this task." Unique features of ABA treatment that are addressed in the guidelines include: Although the guidelines are written primarily for insurers and health plans, they will also be useful for consumers and providers. According to Dr. Carr, The BACB is pleased to offer this resource as a tool for general guidance and basic descriptions of typical ABA service delivery. As general guidelines, we expect that they … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Sep. 14, 2012) People with autism suffer from a pervasive developmental disorder of the brain that becomes evident in early childhood. Peter Scheiffele and Kaspar Vogt, Professors at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, have identified a specific dysfunction in neuronal circuits that is caused by autism. In the journal Science, the scientists also report about their success in reversing these neuronal changes. These findings are an important step in drug development for the treatment for autism. According to current estimates, about one percent of all children develop an autistic spectrum disorder. Individuals with autism may exhibit impaired social behavior, rigid patterns of behavior and limited speech development. Autism is a hereditary developmental disorder of the brain. A central risk factor for the development of autism are numerous mutations in over 300 genes that have been identified, including the gene neuroligin-3, which is involved in the formation of synapses, the contact junction between nerve cells. Loss of neuroligin-3 interferes with neuronal signal transmission The consequences of neuroligin-3 loss can be studied in animal models. Mice lacking the gene for neuroligin-3 develop behavioral patterns reflecting important aspects observed in autism. In collaboration with Roche the research groups from the … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Sep. 13, 2012) Men with divorced parents are significantly more likely to suffer a stroke than men from intact families, shows a new study from the University of Toronto. The study, to be published this month in the International Journal of Stroke, shows that adult men who had experienced parental divorce before they turned 18are three times more likely to suffer a stroke than men whose parents did not divorce. Women from divorced families did not have a higher risk of stroke than women from intact families. "The strong association we found for males between parental divorce and stroke is extremely concerning," says lead author Esme Fuller-Thomson, Sandra Rotman Chair at University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and Department of Family and Community Medicine. "It is particularly perplexing in light of the fact we excluded from our study individuals who had been exposed to any form of family violence or parental addictions. We had anticipated that the association between the childhood experience of parental divorce and stroke may have been due to other factors such as riskier health behaviors or lower socioeconomic status among men whose parents had divorced," explains University of Toronto recent graduate and co-author … Continue reading →