February 6, 2019

Efficacy and safety of a fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor in the treatment of cannabis withdrawal and dependence in men

D'Souza, Deepak Cyril, et al. "Efficacy and safety of a fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor (PF-04457845) in the treatment of cannabis withdrawal and dependence in men: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, phase 2a single-site randomised controlled trial." The Lancet Psychiatry 6.1 (2019): 35-45.

Cannabis’ increasing popularity is paralleled by growing concerns about its habit-forming propensity along with other important public health concerns including but not limited to driving under the influence and availability to adolescents. This double-blind placebo-controlled study presents a novel pharmacological treatment for individuals suffering from cannabis use disorder. The study shows that daily oral treatment with an inhibitor of the anandamide-metabolizing enzyme, FAAH, significantly attenuates withdrawal symptoms in chronic cannabis users, compared to placebo. Anandamide is an endogenous cannabinoid transmitter. FAAH inhibition protects anandamide from degradation and enhances its signaling actions. If confirmed in larger studies, these findings could have profound utility in the treatment of cannabis use disorder

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