From Ha'Aretz:
Thursday, October 8, 1998
Israeli marijuana synthesis treats head trauma
By Marit Slavin and Iris Kraus, Ha'aretz Correspondents
A new drug for treating head trauma, developed by the
Israeli biotechnological company Pharmos, has proved
successful in reducing the number of deaths and
significantly lowering internal cranium pressure - a common
and fatal complication in head injuries. The drug,
Dexanabinol (HU-211), is a synthetic material similar to the
active component of marijuana, but does not cause the same
effects. It was developed by Prof. Rafael Meshulam of the
Hebrew University, and is considered first of its kind.
Currently there is no approved drug on the market for
treating brain damage caused by head trauma, and existing
drugs merely temporarily lower internal cranium pressure so
as to minimize damage to the brain. Head trauma, caused
first and foremost by traffic accidents, is the number one
cause of death among young people.
The study published yesterday was conducted at six Israeli
medical centers and included 67 patients suffering severe
head injuries. It was conducted by Dr. Nahshon Knoller,
head of the neuro-trauma department at the Tel Hashomer
hospital.
Thirty of of the patients received the new drug
intravenously, while the remaining 37 received a placebo. All
the patients were unconscious and all received the drug six
hours after sustaining the head injury.
"The results recorded in the patients who received
Dexanabinol were excellent and their inner cranium pressure
was significantly lower than in the other patients," said Dr.
Knoller in a telephone interview.
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