19 patients report seizure freedom with medical cannabis oil treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy: a case series
PurposeSeizure freedom (SF) is the primary goal of epilepsy treatment. More treatments that produce SF in drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) are needed. Cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs) containing cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), administered as oils, have been shown...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1570531/full |
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| author | Frank Yizhao Chen Frank Yizhao Chen Joshua Myles Duckman Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch Katrin Julia Hannesson Evan Cole Lewis Evan Cole Lewis |
| author_facet | Frank Yizhao Chen Frank Yizhao Chen Joshua Myles Duckman Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch Katrin Julia Hannesson Evan Cole Lewis Evan Cole Lewis |
| author_sort | Frank Yizhao Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PurposeSeizure freedom (SF) is the primary goal of epilepsy treatment. More treatments that produce SF in drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) are needed. Cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs) containing cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), administered as oils, have been shown to induce SF in DRE. However, there remains a paucity of published real-world evidence in both pediatrics and adults on SF resulting from CBPM therapy.MethodsThis is a retrospective case series at an outpatient neurology clinic in Toronto, Canada, on patients with DRE who experienced significant SF during CBPM treatment. All patients were treated via the clinic’s stepwise treatment protocol with CBPM oils only. The study describes clinical features of patients and their CBPM-related SF.ResultsWe report 19 DRE cases that experienced SF; 15 pediatric, 4 adults. The median cumulative SF duration was 245 days, split between continuous SF periods lasting at least 90 days. Five patients had continuous SF periods lasting ≥ 1 year. Most patients used CBD+THC regimens. Three patients weaned all concomitant ASMs. Adverse events (AEs) were reported by half of the patients.ConclusionThe results of the study support prioritizing CBPMs in cases of DRE. It also supports research into identifying clinical and biological biomarkers for DRE cases that may achieve SF under CBPM treatment. Lastly, the study supports improving the accessibility of CBPMs, using SF as a primary outcome in future CBPM epilepsy trials, and assessing the role of THC in reducing seizures. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-99814dc0ba804afebb04d570daf7564f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-99814dc0ba804afebb04d570daf7564f2025-08-20T02:25:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2025-05-011910.3389/fnins.2025.1570531157053119 patients report seizure freedom with medical cannabis oil treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy: a case seriesFrank Yizhao Chen0Frank Yizhao Chen1Joshua Myles Duckman2Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch3Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch4Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch5Katrin Julia Hannesson6Evan Cole Lewis7Evan Cole Lewis8North Toronto Neurology, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Research, JMCC Group, Toronto, ON, CanadaNorth Toronto Neurology, Toronto, ON, CanadaNorth Toronto Neurology, Toronto, ON, CanadaDivision of Experimental and Translational Neuroscience, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaNorth Toronto Neurology, Toronto, ON, CanadaNorth Toronto Neurology, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Pediatrics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaPurposeSeizure freedom (SF) is the primary goal of epilepsy treatment. More treatments that produce SF in drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) are needed. Cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs) containing cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), administered as oils, have been shown to induce SF in DRE. However, there remains a paucity of published real-world evidence in both pediatrics and adults on SF resulting from CBPM therapy.MethodsThis is a retrospective case series at an outpatient neurology clinic in Toronto, Canada, on patients with DRE who experienced significant SF during CBPM treatment. All patients were treated via the clinic’s stepwise treatment protocol with CBPM oils only. The study describes clinical features of patients and their CBPM-related SF.ResultsWe report 19 DRE cases that experienced SF; 15 pediatric, 4 adults. The median cumulative SF duration was 245 days, split between continuous SF periods lasting at least 90 days. Five patients had continuous SF periods lasting ≥ 1 year. Most patients used CBD+THC regimens. Three patients weaned all concomitant ASMs. Adverse events (AEs) were reported by half of the patients.ConclusionThe results of the study support prioritizing CBPMs in cases of DRE. It also supports research into identifying clinical and biological biomarkers for DRE cases that may achieve SF under CBPM treatment. Lastly, the study supports improving the accessibility of CBPMs, using SF as a primary outcome in future CBPM epilepsy trials, and assessing the role of THC in reducing seizures.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1570531/fullepilepsycannabisCBD–cannabidiolTHC–tetrahydrocannabinolseizure freedompediatric epilepsy |
| spellingShingle | Frank Yizhao Chen Frank Yizhao Chen Joshua Myles Duckman Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch Brenden Samuel Rabinovitch Katrin Julia Hannesson Evan Cole Lewis Evan Cole Lewis 19 patients report seizure freedom with medical cannabis oil treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy: a case series Frontiers in Neuroscience epilepsy cannabis CBD–cannabidiol THC–tetrahydrocannabinol seizure freedom pediatric epilepsy |
| title | 19 patients report seizure freedom with medical cannabis oil treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy: a case series |
| title_full | 19 patients report seizure freedom with medical cannabis oil treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy: a case series |
| title_fullStr | 19 patients report seizure freedom with medical cannabis oil treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy: a case series |
| title_full_unstemmed | 19 patients report seizure freedom with medical cannabis oil treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy: a case series |
| title_short | 19 patients report seizure freedom with medical cannabis oil treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy: a case series |
| title_sort | 19 patients report seizure freedom with medical cannabis oil treatment for drug resistant epilepsy a case series |
| topic | epilepsy cannabis CBD–cannabidiol THC–tetrahydrocannabinol seizure freedom pediatric epilepsy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1570531/full |
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