Data suggests that two million people will be diagnosed with cancer in 2024. There are multiple kinds of cancer, some more aggressive than others, and also various treatments. Chemotherapy pushes chemicals into the body that are said to kill the cancer cells. It may also trigger other issues.
One treatment for postmenopausal breast cancer patients is aromatase inhibitors. Unfortunately, they often have debilitating side effects. Luckily, the City of Hope and Biopharmaceutical Research Company (BRC) kicked off a clinical trial to learn how cannabinoids might help.
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City of Hope cannabis cancer therapy reaches Phase II
Cancer treatment side effects can be horrible for patients. Those going through chemotherapy are often exhausted, vomiting, and basically feel like they are benignly pumped with chemicals.
Severe joint pain is common among postmenopausal patients who have a type of breast cancer. This cancer uses estrogen to grow. Estrogen levels decrease during menopause. Therefore, these patients often develop severe joint pain. The pain can be so intense that many stop taking the medications.
There is no current treatment for this type of response to aromatase inhibitors. That is why BRC developed a new potential drug made from cannabis.
“Cannabis-derived therapeutics are one of the most promising treatments to address underserved pain conditions. BRC has developed a proprietary therapy with unique properties to address joint pain in breast cancer patients taking aromatase inhibitors,” said George Hodgin, BRC CEO and founder, in a press release.
City of Hope is in Phase II of the cannabis pharmaceutical clinical trial and celebrated the first patient receiving a dose last week. The placebo-controlled study aims to learn about joint pain efficacy, adverse effects, safety guidelines, and potential changes in physical function.
BRC does not list which cannabinoids are used in the formulation. However, the trial is open about how much will be administered. Participating patients will receive 200 mg of BRC-001 titrating up over two weeks as needed. The maximum dose was 800 mg.
“This research to alleviate or eliminate side effects, such as joint pain, is part of City of Hope’s commitment to provide compassionate, individualized care,” lead investigator and City of Hope professor Lisa Yee, M.D., said in the release. “We hope this work will yield innovative, FDA-approved therapies to help patients complete their life-saving treatments.”
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The Phase II trial will face one more step before it is available to the public. In Phase III, researchers compare the potential treatment to standard treatments. Doctors currently prescribe over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications for the pain. This clinical trial indicates that the research community is starting to take cannabis seriously and potential relief for this underserved group of patients.
Cannabis may hold the potential for many medical applications. Unfortunately, until the plant is rescheduled by the Food and Drug Administration, learning will continue at a snail’s pace. Despite stalling on rescheduling, this clinical trial with a renowned cancer research team indicates doctors are ready to figure it out now.
