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Chronic PainPhase 2NCT03337503

Safety and Efficacy of Medical Cannabis Oil in the Treatment of Patients with Chronic Pain

A Phase 2 study testing THC and CDB in a 1 to 1 ratio, Experimental: THC and CBD in a 1 to 2 ratio and High CBD with trace THC oil in people with Chronic Pain, run by Santé Cannabis at 1 site in Canada.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

Seeking for effective therapeutic strategies, the investigators are proposing to test the effectiveness of different formulations of medical cannabis oil to alleviate chronic pain, which was partially relieved with conventional prescriptions. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Chronic Pain
What is being tested?
THC and CDB in a 1 to 1 ratio, Experimental: THC and CBD in a 1 to 2 ratio and High CBD with trace THC oil
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
161 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
29 Jan 2018to 15 Feb 2019
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Written informed consent
  • Adult patients (older than 18 years of age), male and female, with chronic non-cancer and cancer pain (at least 3 months in duration)
  • Patients experiencing an average weekly pain intensity score greater than 4 on a 11 points NRS
  • Subject agreed to follow the protocol
  • Naïve cannabis patients with chronic non-cancer and cancer pain (not used cannabis in any presentation in the last 12 weeks)
  • Patients receiving opioids and other concomitant pain medications should have a stable dose for the last 15 days.
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  • Normal cognitive status according to MiniCog
  • Normal liver function (defined as aspartate aminotransferase 10-40 U/L and alanine aminotransferase 7-56 U/L)
  • Normal renal function (defined as serum creatinine level <133 µmol/L and Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) greater than or equal to 60)
  • Negative result on βhuman chorionic gonadotropin pregnancy test (if applicable)
  • Ability to read and respond to questions in French or English.
  • A female volunteer must meet one of the following criteria:
  • If of childbearing potential - agrees to use one of the accepted contraceptive regimens from at least 28 days prior to the first drug administration, during the study and for at least 60 days after the last dose.
  • If of non-childbearing potential - should be surgically sterile or in a menopausal state
  • A male volunteer with sexual partners who are pregnant, possibly pregnant, or who could become pregnant must be surgically sterile or agrees to use one of the accepted contraceptive regimens from first drug administration until 3 months after the last drug administration.

Who cannot join

  • Acute pain (less than 3 months in duration)
  • Previous serious adverse event or hypersensitivity to cannabis or cannabinoids
  • Inability to understand and comply with the instructions of the study
  • Presence of significant cardiac disease (history of unstable ischemic heart disease, heart failure, severe and uncontrolled hypertension) that, in the opinion of the investigator, would put the patient at risk of a clinically significant arrhythmia or myocardial infarction
  • Current substance use disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM 5)
  • Life-time history of dependence on cannabis or diagnosis of cannabis use disorder (CUD) according to the DSM 5
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  • Life-time history of DSM 5 schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or previous psychosis with or intolerance to cannabinoids
  • Current or history of suicidal ideation
  • Pregnant, breast-feeding or female patients of child-bearing potential and male patients whose partner is of child-bearing potential, unless willing to ensure that they or their partner use effective contraception
  • Hepatic impairment (aspartate aminotransferase more than three times normal) or renal function impairment (serum creatinine level >133 µmol/L, Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) <60)
  • Cognitive impairment according to MiniCog
  • The patient is currently using or has used cannabinoid based medications within 90 days of study entry and is unwilling to abstain for the duration of the study
  • Positive urine drug screen for cannabinoids and other potential abuse substances (e.g. alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines and methamphetamines, unprescribed opioids)
  • Participation in another clinical trial within 30 days of enrolment in our trial

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • Santé Cannabis

    Montreal, Quebec, H2L 3K9

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Safety and Efficacy of Medical Cannabis Oil in the Treatment of Patients with Chronic Pain: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study, Followed by an Open-Label Extension Phase

Seeking for effective therapeutic strategies, the investigators are proposing to test the effectiveness of different formulations of medical cannabis oil to alleviate chronic pain, which was partially relieved with conventional prescriptions. Furthermore, the investigators would like to assess the effect of different formulations of medical cannabis oil on other symptoms associated to chronic pain like anxiety and depression, as well as insomnia and appetite. Finally, as recently recommended for clinical studies on medical cannabis, the investigators will examine the safety profile of different cannabis formulations focusing on the following elements: a real chronic administration with more than two weeks of treatment, a larger number of patients, and the clinical relevance of medical cannabis oil to change the amount and type of concomitant medications used to control chronic non-cancer and cancer pain.

Read the detailed description

This is a 6-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group design trial followed by an open-label extension phase of 12 weeks, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of different formulations of medical cannabis oil to reduce chronic pain intensity.

The study will be conducted at Santé Cannabis Clinic, the only medical cannabinoid therapy clinic, located in Montreal, Quebec. One hundred and sixty consecutive adult patients, male and female, with chronic non-cancer and cancer pain (at least 3 months in duration), with an average weekly pain intensity score greater than 4 on the 11 points NRS, will be prospectively recruited and invited to participate in this trial.

Informed consent will be obtained by a Research Assistant.

After baseline documentation with standardized scales, patients will be randomized to one of 4 parallel groups:

  • Group A: THC/CBD ratio 1:1 capsule
  • Group B: THC/CBD ratio 1:2 capsule
  • Group C: THC/CBD ratio 0.1:2 capsule
  • Group D: Placebo capsule Patients will have a dose titration phase during the first week. The dose escalation will allow patients to adapt to the potential adverse effects (AEs) of the medical cannabis.

Follow-up visits will be done after 1 week and 6 weeks of treatment. At the end of the first phase of the study, patients who wish to participate in the open-label extension phase will have the option to continue in the same treatment regimen. For the placebo group, the investigator may propose one of the cannabis oils to the subject if they feel it may potentially provide benefits.

They will take this new treatment for other 12 weeks. For this open-label extension phase the follow-up visits will be done after 4 weeks and 12 weeks of treatment.

Conditions
Chronic Pain
Being tested
THC and CDB in a 1 to 1 ratio, Experimental: THC and CBD in a 1 to 2 ratio, High CBD with trace THC oil, placebo
Medical subject headings
Chronic Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • THC and CDB in a 1 to 1 ratioDrug

    capsule containing cannabis oil

  • Experimental: THC and CBD in a 1 to 2 ratioDrug

    capsule containing cannabis oil

  • High CBD with trace THC oilDrug

    capsule containing cannabis oil

  • placeboOther

    carrier oil capsule

Study groups in NCT03337503
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
THC and CDB in a 1 to 1 ratioExperimentalPost a self-titrating schedule of medical cannabis oil, subjects take 1 capsule three times a day at 6 hour intervals. 2.5 mg THC with 2.5 mg CBD capsule
Receives: Drug: THC and CDB in a 1 to 1 ratio
THC and CBD in a 1 to 2 ratioExperimentalPost a self-titrating schedule of medical cannabis oil, subjects take 1 capsule three times a day at 6 hour intervals. 2.5 mg THC with 5 mg CBD capsule
Receives: Drug: Experimental: THC and CBD in a 1 to 2 ratio
high CBD with trace THCExperimentalPost a self-titrating schedule of medical cannabis oil, subjects take 1 capsule three times a day at 6 hour intervals. 20 mg CBD with traces of THC
Receives: Drug: High CBD with trace THC oil
placeboPlacebo comparatorPost a self-titrating schedule of carrier oil, subjects take 1 capsule three times a day at 6 hour intervals. carrier oil capsule
Receives: Other: placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Does the daily use of cannabis oil improves chronic pain

    Changes in pain as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) scale. Scale range is 0 to 10; 0 (No pain) being the best rating to the maximal rating of 10 (Pain as bad as you can imagine).

    Measured: Change from Baseline in BPI-SF at Weeks 1 and 6 and in follow-up phase at Weeks 10 and 18.

  2. Does the daily use of cannabis oil improves chronic pain

    Changes in pain as measured by the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). The NRS is a measure of the average weekly pain intensity score greater than on a 0 to 10 points scale where 0 is No Pain and 10 is the worst pain.

    Measured: Change from Baseline in NRS at Weeks 1 and 6 and in follow-up phase at Weeks 10 and 18.

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Does the daily use of cannabis oil improve symptom burden

    Changes in symptom burden as measured by the revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System version with Constipation and Sleep was added to assess improvement in symptom burden (ESAS-r-CS). Scale range is 0 to 10; 0 (No symptom) being the best rating to the maximal rating of 10 (Worst possible score for symptom).

    Measured: Change from Baseline in ESAS-r-CS at Weeks 1 and 6 and in follow-up phase at Weeks 10 and 18.

  2. Does the daily use of cannabis oil reduce the severity of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events (safety and tolerability).

    Changes in validated UKU Side Effects Rating Scale for Patients (UKU-SERS-Pat). Scale range is 0 to 3 for rating the degree of severity and a second scale for the investigator that assigns a casual relationship of improbable, possible or probable.

    Measured: Change from Baseline in UKU-SERSP at Weeks 1 and 6 and in follow-up phase at Weeks 10 and 18.

  3. Does the daily use of cannabis oil improve cognition

    Changes in validated Mini-Cog. Scale range is numerical and rates the ability to recall words and ability to draw a clock showing numbers from 1 to 12 and then drawing the given time.

    Measured: Change from Baseline in Mini-Cog at Weeks 1 and 6 and in follow-up phase at Weeks 10 and 18.

  4. Does the daily use of cannabis oil reduce the Profile of Mood States (POMS)

    Changes in POMS . Scale range is 1 to 5 and describes how you feel right now. Scale of 1, the lowest score, describes a feeling of Not At All right now for the mood and the scale of 5 gives the highest score representing a feeling of Extremely for the mood.

    Measured: Change from Baseline in POMS at Weeks 1 and 6 and in follow-up phase at Weeks 10 and 18.

  5. Does the daily use of cannabis oil improve the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D)

    Changes in HAM-D scale. Scale range is either 0 to 2 or 0 to 4. The scale is designed to rate the severity of depression with a score of 0 representing the absence of the question and 2 or 4 meaning the highest severity.

    Measured: Change from Baseline in HAM-D at Weeks 1 and 6 and in follow-up phase at Weeks 10 and 18.

  6. Does the daily use of cannabis oil improve Medication Quantification Scale (MQS) version III

    Changes in concurrent medications, rescue medications and Medication Quantification Scale (MQS) version III. MQS is a method of quantifying different pain drug regimens by evaluating the use of 22 distinct drug classes (e.g., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], antidepressants, benzodiazepines, opiates). A single value is calculated based on a patient's pain medication profile, taking into account dosages, and the types of pain medications prescribed.

    Measured: Change from Baseline in MQS version III at Weeks 1 and 6 and in follow-up phase at Weeks 10 and 18.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted9 Nov 2017
  2. Study start29 Jan 2018
  3. Primary completion15 Feb 2019
  4. Study completion15 Feb 2019

Why it stopped: Sponsor decision to stop the study

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator
Enrolment
161 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03337503
Sponsor's protocol ID
Cannabis Oil Study PPP005-001
Status last verified
Apr 2024
First submitted
17 Oct 2017
Last updated
2 Dec 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing THC and CDB in a 1 to 1 ratio, Experimental: THC and CBD in a 1 to 2 ratio and High CBD with trace THC oil in people with Chronic Pain, run by Santé Cannabis at 1 site in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 15 inclusion and 14 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Dec 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study was stopped early (reason given: Sponsor decision to stop the study). Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Does the daily use of cannabis oil improves chronic pain (time frame: Change from Baseline in BPI-SF at Weeks 1 and 6 and in follow-up phase at Weeks 10 and 18.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Dec 2024.

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