2018 | Multicenter international trial | Randomized placebo-controlled trial
Devinsky O et al. New England Journal of Medicine. 2018;378:1888-1897.
Methods: A trial at 30 centers assigned 225 patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome to either of two purified CBD regimens or placebo for 14 weeks, in addition to conventional antiseizure treatment.
Findings: Median reductions in drop seizure frequency were 37.2% and 41.9% in the CBD groups, compared with 17.2% with placebo. Sleepiness, reduced appetite, diarrhea, and elevated liver enzymes were among the reported adverse effects.
Limitations: This was a syndrome-specific, short-term add-on trial. The findings concern the tested oral medicine and seizure type, with safety monitoring, and cannot be generalized to all cannabis products or all seizures.