Feasibility of a cannabidiol (CBD)-dominant cannabis based medicinal
product (CBMP) for the treatment of Long COVID symptoms: A single arm
open label feasibility trial
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection
may be associated with long-term health problems termed Long COVID or
post COVID-19 syndrome. Symptoms can include fatigue, cognitive
dysfunction, pain, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances. There are
few treatments available. Cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) may
reduce some of the common symptoms associated with Long COVID as they
are known to ameliorate these symptoms occurring in other conditions. We
conducted a single arm open label feasibility trial of the safety and
tolerability of a full spectrum cannabidiol (CBD)-dominant CBMP for
treating the symptoms of Long COVID. The treatment phase ran for a total
of 21 weeks, followed by ~3 weeks without the study
drug. Participants received up to 3 mL of MediCabilis 5% CBD Oil (50 mg
CBD/mL, <2 mg THC/mL) per day orally. We recruited 12 (1 male,
11 female) individuals diagnosed with Long COVID into the trial. Monthly
patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) of common symptoms and daily
self-report of symptoms were collected via a smartphone app. Key
measures of heart rate, activity, sleep, and oxygen saturation were
assessed using wearable technology. All patients adhered to the
treatment protocol for the duration of the study and there were no
serious adverse events. Response rates for the research assessments were
high with over 90% completion of PROMs and daily self-report.
CBD-dominant CBMPs are safe and well tolerated in individuals diagnosed
with Long COVID. Future work with larger samples and incorporating a
control group should test the efficacy of this treatment.