Development of an intravenous CB1 antagonist for acute cannabinoid intoxication and cannabis hyperemesis syndrome
Project Number1U01DA059995-01
Contact PI/Project LeaderCUNDY, KENNETH
Awardee OrganizationANEBULO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Description
Abstract Text
1 Cannabis is the most used psychoactive substance world-wide. The CNS effects of THC, the
2 main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, and synthetic cannabinoids are largely attributed
3 to their agonism of the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1). CB1 activation can cause effects
4 including feelings of euphoria, sensory distortion, panic attacks, psychosis, and tachycardia.
5 Recent legalization of cannabis use in a growing number of U.S. States has led to a rapid
6 increase in access to a wide range of cannabis products that are more potent, relatively
7 inexpensive, and easier to obtain. More wide-spread use of cannabis has led to an exponential
8 increase in emergency department visits and hospitalization related to either Acute
9 Cannabinoid Intoxication (ACI) or to Cannabinoid Hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), which is
10 characterized by severe, repeated bouts of nausea and vomiting that can last from hours up
11 to weeks. Data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Healthcare Cost and
12 Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) indicate that
13 ACI incidence increased by approximately 12% annually between 2006 and 2018, with the
14 largest relative increase in the most recent year among female and pediatric patients. Children
15 are an especially vulnerable group because cannabis edibles are widely available in the form
16 of chocolate and gummies, which are attractive to children and often mistaken for harmless
17 treats. Because of their lower body weight, relative doses are much higher in children, and
18 higher circulating THC concentrations result in greater risk for more serious adverse events
19 associated with ACI, e.g. severe neurological impairment, seizures, loss of consciousness,
20 and coma. Although several CB1 receptor antagonists have shown some promise in inhibiting
21 THC intoxication in early clinical studies, to date no CB1 inhibitor has been approved for
22 treatment of ACI or CHS. To address this serious and growing unmet medical need, Anebulo
23 Pharmaceuticals is developing a novel CB1 antagonist, ANEB-001. The current project aims
24 to advance the development of ANEB-001, so that it can ultimately be approved as an acute
25 intervention for treatment of ACI and CHS in the emergency setting. The purpose of this
26 project is to investigate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and therapeutic potential of an
27 intravenous formulation of ANEB-001 in relevant populations of patients, including pediatric
28 patients, who are particularly at-risk of serious adverse events. Ultimately, ANEB-001 could
29 become available to patients presenting to the emergency department with ACI or CHS,
30 decreasing the burden of these conditions on both patients and the US healthcare system.
Public Health Relevance Statement
PROJECT NARRATIVE
Recent legalization of cannabis in a growing number of States across the U.S. has led to a
rapid increase in availability and use of cannabis and cannabis products, in a wide range of
inhaled and edible forms that are potent and inexpensive, and this in turn has led to an
exponential surge in emergency department (ED) visits for acute cannabinoid intoxication
(ACI). This project aims to further advance Anebulo Pharmaceutical’s clinical development of
an emergency treatment for ACI: ANEB-001, a CB1 antagonist shown to rapidly reverse the
key symptoms of ACI after single oral doses in a Phase 2 THC challenge study in healthy
subjects. Ultimately, providing ANEB-001 as an intravenous antidote for ACI and potentially
cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) in the ED could address this rapidly growing unmet
need, particularly for children and vulnerable patients at greatest risk of potentially life-
threating adverse events, while also reducing the burden on the US healthcare system.
NIH Spending Category
No NIH Spending Category available.
Project Terms
Accident and Emergency departmentAcuteAddressAdultAdvanced DevelopmentAdverse eventAnimal ModelAntidotesBody WeightCNR1 geneCannabinoidsCannabisChildChildhoodChocolateClinical ResearchComaConsensusDataDeglutitionDevelopmentDoseDrug KineticsEmergency department visitEmergency treatmentEuphoriaFeelingFormulationFutureG-Protein-Coupled ReceptorsGoalsGuidelinesHealth Care CostsHealthcare SystemsHeart RateHospitalizationHospitalsHourImpairmentIncidenceIngestionInhalationInterventionIntoxicationIntravenousLifeMediatingMedicalNausea and VomitingNeurologicNeurologic SymptomsOralPanic AttackParanoiaPatient AdmissionPatientsPharmaceutical PreparationsPharmacologic SubstancePhasePsychosesResearchResearch DesignRiskSafetySamplingSeizuresSensorySerious Adverse EventSubstance Use DisorderSyndromeTHC concentrationTachycardiaTestingTetrahydrocannabinolTherapeuticUnconscious StateUnited States Agency for Healthcare Research and QualityUnited States Food and Drug AdministrationVentilatory DepressionVulnerable Populationsacute symptomalertnessantagonistcannabinoid receptor antagonistclinical developmentdesigneffective therapyemergency settingshealthy volunteerimprovedinhibitorjuvenile animalmanufacturemarijuana legalizationmarijuana usenovelpatient populationpediatric patientspharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamicsphase 1 studyphase 2 studyphysical symptompreclinical studyreceptorresearch clinical testingsynthetic cannabinoidvolunteerwomen patients
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