Zynerba Shares Plunge as Cannabis-Based Epilepsy Gel Fails Study

https://www.doximity.com/doc_news/v2/entries/8719011

Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc’s stock lost more than half its value on Monday after the U.S. drug developer said its synthetic cannabis-based gel for epilepsy failed a mid-stage study.

Zynerba’s gel contains a synthetically processed formulation of cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of the cannabis plant.

Although many U.S. states have sanctioned the medical and/or recreational use of cannabis, drugs derived from the plant could take longer than others to hit the market.

Under U.S. federal law, marijuana is considered a dangerous substance with no medicinal value, making additional approvals for marijuana-derived treatments necessary prior to launch.

Two doses of Zynerba’s ZYN002 gel were tested against a placebo in the study.

Neither dose induced a statistically significant improvement in seizure frequency versus the placebo in patients who were already on up to three anti-epileptic medications.

The 188-patient study comprised adults suffering from epilepsy with partial seizures, which occurs when epileptic activity takes part in a localized part of the brain.

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