Promising novel medication for cannabis use disorder

Why was this study conducted?  

With the widespread nature of cannabis use disorder (CUD), there is a growing need for medication to help people who may be experiencing harms from their cannabis use and want to stop use with limited negative effects. One new class of medications called AEF0117 is being tested in phase 1 and phase 2a clinical trials to see if it can help people reduce their cannabis use while not being impacted from negative outcomes, such as cannabis withdrawal. The medication works by reducing the perception of the “good effects” of using cannabis, causing users to want to use less. 

 What does this study add? 

The new class of medication appears to be safe for use in animals. Even in high doses, there were no significant neurohormonal changes in mice. Similar results for safety and tolerability were found across many species, including rats, dogs and monkeys. This result for safety was then confirmed in humans via two placebo-controlled, double-blind studies in healthy volunteers. 

The next phase of the research examined regular cannabis users (average 2.9 grams of cannabis per day, using an average of 6.9 days per week) to determine if these regular users perceived a reduction of the “good effects” of cannabis. A reduction of these “good effects” was seen with the lowest dose (0.06mg), and the desired effects increased with increasing dose (1mg). Actual cannabis use also appears to have reduced at the low dose, with an increase effect at the higher dose. Drug safety and tolerability were also confirmed. 

Is there anything else I should know?  

The authors suggest this new pathway to inhibit drug receptors in a signaling-specific manner has promise for treating people with CUD. The low expectation of side effects along with the high tolerability of the drug appears to lend evidence that further clinical trials should be used to increase the evidence base for this approach.