Scientists step up search for cannabis-based COVID-19 cure

CBD has the potential to enhance the therapeutic effect of steroid treatment and also treats the bio-mechanism affected by the COVID-19 virus.

The initial study will evaluate the tolerability, safety, and efficacy of the CBD treatment, for hospitalised patients with COVID-19 Infections.

The trial is being carried out by Stero Biotechs, an Israel-based company focused on CBD formulation research and development, in a collaboration with Mor Research Applications, part of Clalit Health Services.

The small-scale clinical trial at Rabin Medical Center Golda HaSharon Campus is treating 10 patients initially.

The treatment cycle will be for a few weeks with a subsequent follow-up period of the same length.

Stero plans to scale up and expand to a multi-centre clinical trial, with an additional 40 hospitalised patients with COVID-19 Infections, under FDA clinical trial guidelines and regulations.

Founder and CEO David Bassa said: “We estimate that our CBD-based treatment can enhance the current treatment of those patients who are in life-threatening conditions.

“Hospitalised COVID-19 patients are mostly being treated with steroids and our study is planned to demonstrate the benefit of a combined solution with Steroid treatments.

“We are hopeful that this study will lead to faster benefit for the growing number of COVID-19 patients in Israel and around the world.”

Stero is a clinical-stage company involved in the research and development of novel CBD-based treatments.