A New Trial in Israel Will Study Cannabis-Based Treatment and Autism

In a recent press release, pharmaceutical company SciSparc announced an upcoming 20-week clinical trial involving its cannabidiol (CBD)-based medication, SCI-210, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms in children (1). The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will involve 60 individuals ages 5-18 and will take place at the Soroka Medical Center in Israel (1). SciSparc received approval in July 2023 from the Israeli Medical Cannabis Agency (IMCA) to begin the trial (2). The safety and efficacy of the treatment, SCI-210—a combination of CBD and SciSparc’s palmitoylethanolamide—will be compared to other CBD treatments of ASD (1).

According to the press release, SciSparc is also involved with developing treatments for disorders of the central nervous system, Tourette Syndrome, Alzheimer’s, and pain (1).

"Our pioneering treatment aims to reduce and alleviate the symptoms of autism along with reducing the side effects that are common when taking cannabis-based treatments, such as CBD,” stated Oz Adler, SciSparc's Chief Executive Officer (1). “Partnering with the Soroka Medical Center and the National Autism Research Center, we are exploring new territory in ASD treatment. We are driven by science and the goal of improving life quality for children with ASD and their families."

Israel’s National Autism Research Center provided consultation for the trial’s design, which lists a parent questionnaire, a clinician’s completion of the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement, and the therapeutic dose as the efficacy endpoints (2).

“Medical cannabis is an important field in the medical aspects," said Yuval Landsheft, Director of the IMCA at the Israeli Ministry of Health (2). “The IMCA was established when it was clear that professionalism is required in this field. We are in the world of pharma, and as such, we encourage companies to conduct well designed and controlled clinical trials in order to be able to approve indications and to keep Israel as a global leader in the medical cannabis.”

Read the research on autism spectrum disorder and the endocannabinoid system.

References

1. New Hope for Children: SciSparc’s patented CBD- Enhanced Solution for Autism Spectrum Disorder. GlobeNewsWire. November 24, 2023.
2. SciSparc to Commence Its Clinical Trial with SCI-210 in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. GlobeNewsWire. July 14, 2023.