Sunnybrook researchers awarded $1.84 million for further study of synthetic cannabinoid in Alzheimer’s disease

Congratulations to Dr. Krista Lanctôt, senior scientist, and her team who have been awarded $1.84 million by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation for a Canada-wide expansion of their clinical trial investigating the effects of nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, in treating agitation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

With Drs. John Marotta, Nathan Herrmann, Sandra Black, Damien Gallagher, Mark Rapoport and Alex Kiss, at SRI, the Canada-wide trial will include additional centres in Toronto, London and Calgary, and will involve 108 patients. The researchers are part of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging.

In July 2018, Drs. Lanctot and Herrmann’s world-first pilot study results demonstrated that nabilone had a calming effect in agitated patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s. Researchers also determined sedation was a side effect that should be closely monitored.

“Agitation is challenging to treat,” says Dr. Lanctôt, principal investigator of the study. “We know cannabinoids are being used in the community, but it’s critical to determine whether there are real benefits, and that’s why embarking on this larger trial is particularly important.”

“Medical treatments for agitation in Alzheimer’s patients are often associated with serious side effects and risks that may include stroke or death. Our goal is to identify a safe and effective pharmacotherapy for treatment of agitation in patients with Alzheimer’s,” says Dr. Marotta.

“Given the anti-anxiety effects of cannabinoids and that they have been shown to reduce aggression, it is important to continue further investigation of nabilone as a potential alternative with less serious side effects than conventional medical treatments,” says Dr. Herrmann.

Currently, nabilone is approved by Health Canada for use in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea.

Agitation impacts 20 per cent of patients in moderate-to-severe stages of Alzheimer’s disease and is associated with faster progression of the disease, decreases in quality of life and increases in caregiver burden and rates of institutionalization.

Patient recruitment is expected to begin in the summer of 2020. To inquire about participating in the trial, please email: NAB-IT@sunnybrook.ca.