Epidiolex vs CBD: What's The Difference?
tomas Asked
What is Epidiolex and how is it different than CBD?
Summary
Answer
What is Epidiolex?
Epidiolex is a prescription medication that contains cannabidiol (CBD) as its active ingredient. It is specifically approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of certain types of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.
Epidiolex vs CBD: What's The Difference?
While CBD is a naturally occurring compound found in the cannabis plant, Epidiolex is a purified form of CBD that has undergone testing and clinical trials to ensure its safety and effectiveness for treating these specific seizure disorders. It is inherently different from other CBD products, partly because it has been approved by the FDA and is available only with a prescription from a healthcare provider.
Other key differences are highlighted below:
- Epidiolex is highly concentrated (100 mg/mL).
- Epidiloex is dosed based on the patient's body weight (2.5-10mg/kg twice daily).
- Epidiolex is a pharmaceutical-grade product formulated in sesame seed oil and also contains other inactive ingredients like dehydrated alcohol, strawberry flavor, and sucralose.
Is Epidiolex Synthetic CBD?
No! Epidiolex actually contains plant-derived CBD, but to make Epidiolex, manufacturers use a patented method to extract and isolate CBD from the rest of the cannabis plant. They then dissolve the isolated CBD into sesame seed oil and add in the inactive ingredients to make the final product.
Effectiveness And Therapeutic Applications of Epidiolex
Epidiolex is prescribed as an adjunctive therapy. This means it's combined with other antiepileptic medications to manage seizures. Its effectiveness has been observed in Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. For patients who don't respond to other medications for epilepsy, Epidiolex might be available as an additional treatment.
Safety and Side Effects of Epidiolex
Every medication has side effects, which users may or may not experience. With Epidiolex, the most commonly reported side effects in clinical trials included sleepiness, decreased appetite, diarrhea, and elevated liver enzymes.
Concluding Remarks
Epidiolex is a prescription medication that harnesses the potential therapeutic properties of CBD for managing certain epilepsy syndromes. The medicine is formulated as a pure CBD (isolate) dissolved in sesame seed oil. It has been subject to rigorous testing and regulatory processes for quality, consistency, and safety. CBD-based medicines have shown effectiveness in reducing seizure frequency and improving seizure control in patients with two specific forms of epilepsy. As with most cannabis-derived products, it is essential to consult with a healthcare provider for proper guidance and monitoring.
- Trial of Cannabidiol for Drug-Resistant Seizures in the Dravet Syndrome. (NEJM).
- Potential Clinical Benefits of CBD-Rich Cannabis Extracts Over Purified CBD in Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy: Observational Data Meta-analysis. (PubMed).
- Cannabidiol in patients with seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (GWPCARE4): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. (PubMed).
- Epidiolex. Carlsbad, CA: Greenwich Biosciences; 2018. [Package Insert].
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