Medicinal Cannabis Eases Symptoms in Palliative Care

Parents are interested in obtaining medicinal cannabis for their child’s symptoms, but physicians are reluctant to prescribe because of the lack of quality research.

A new study assesses the use of cannabis to decrease symptoms in kids who are undergoing palliative care.

The study has received $75,000 from the latest round of the State Government’s Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund (VMRAF) announced by Medical Research Minister Jaala Pulford. Additional support has been provided by Victorian medicinal cannabis company Cannatrek.

Medical Cannabis Use in Palliative Care

The project, led by Murdoch Children’s Associate Professor Daryl Efron, will be the first in the world to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of a medicinal cannabis clinical trial into easing the symptoms of children undergoing palliative care for non-oncological conditions.

Cannabis
Cannabis has a long history of medicinal, recreational, and industrial use and comes from a bushy plant with thick sticky flowers called Cannabis Sativa

‘Medicinal cannabis is a new therapy with great hope, but there is little evidence from clinical trials, particularly in children.’

The study will involve 10 participants, aged six months to 21 years, who are receiving care in the Victorian Pediatric Palliative Care Program, and have symptoms that are affecting their quality of life. Recruitment for the trial will start later this year.

“The trial will evaluate the study design spanning recruitment strategy, medication tolerability, duration and outcomes to determine acceptability and feasibility for participating families and our research team,” Associate Professor Efron said. The data collected will then be used to design a full-scale multi-centre trial.”

Associate Professor Efron said pediatric patients undergoing palliative care experience a range of debilitating symptoms that have a significant impact on well-being and quality of life including pain, irritability, gastrointestinal symptoms, seizures, spasticity and dystonia.

Palliative Care
Palliative care is specialized care for terminally ill patients, aiming to keep patients comfortable and improve quality of life, along with curative therapy.

“These symptoms are difficult to control with currently prescribed medications, most of which cause significant side-effects,” he said.

“There is an urgent need for clinical trials to properly evaluate the role of medicinal cannabis for use in these highly vulnerable patients.”

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About 70 percent of patients managed by the Victorian pediatric palliative care service have non-oncological conditions including severe cerebral palsy, metabolic and genetic conditions, neurodegenerative disorders and progressive cardiac disease.

“If medicinal cannabis is shown to be effective it will represent an important treatment breakthrough for this patient group,” Associate Professor Efron said.

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Medicinal cannabis is shown to reduce cancer-related pain and the need for opiate-based painkillers.

The study is part of an emerging program of research at the Murdoch Children’s into medicinal cannabis for children with an intellectual disability, Tourette Syndrome and other developmental conditions such as autism.

The trial is among 21 projects to receive a recent VMRAF grant, which supports both early-stage research and projects that are ready for commercialization.

Minister Pulford said investing in local research keeps Melbourne among the best in the world for advancing medical breakthroughs.

“Future treatments and possible cures would not be possible unless we back the scientists and clinicians who work tirelessly to make an impact to the health of all Victorians,” she said.

Source-Eurekalert