A Canadian bioscience company has released partial results from a study focusing on using cannabidiol (CBD) to treat hypertension symptoms.
The Kelowna, BC-based Lexaria Bioscience Corp. announced on Wednesday, August 11, results from the HYPER-H21-1 human clinical study.
The study evaluates Lexaria’s DehydraTECH-processed CBD as a potential application against hypertension.
Hypertension Health Complications
Lexaria says hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a primary or contributing factor in hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.
According to the Mayo Clinic, hypertension can damage the body for years before symptoms develop.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can narrow and damage arteries, decrease quality of life, lead to disability, and increase the possibility of a stroke or fatal heart attack.
Increased strain from high blood pressure can also cause the heart’s left ventricle to enlarge and lead to heart failure over time.
According to Lexaria, one in four adults between the ages of 20 and 44 have high blood pressure, which increases their chances of experiencing heart failure, vision loss, renal disease, peripheral artery disease, and dementia.
Positive DehydraTECH Results
Partial results from Lexaria’s study showed DehydraTECH CBD reduced blood pressure in male and female volunteers within the first ten to fifty minutes.
Lexaria says the results reinforce previous findings that show DehydraTECH CBD performs better than generic CBD controls.
Lexaria CEO Chris Bunka says he is pleased with the study results and DehydraTECH CBD’s potential to treat hypertension.
“We are very encouraged by these early results in our 2021 hypertension program,” says Lexaria CEO Chris Bunka. “Lexaria’s technology enabled a rapid and sustained drop in blood pressure, especially systolic pressure and particularly in Stage 2 hypertensive volunteers.”
Lexaria says its proprietary DehydraTECH technology, designed to formulate and deliver fat-soluble drugs and active ingredients, increases effectiveness and improves how things like CBD enter the bloodstream.
According to Lexaria, DehydraTECH benefits include quicker delivery, better bioavailability, increased brain absorption, improved drug potency, reduced drug administration cost, and masking of unwanted taste.
The company says it has also demonstrated the benefits from other animal studies, “elevating the quantity of the drug delivered across the blood-brain barrier by as much as 1,900%.”
Lexaria says that there were no serious adverse side effects observed or reported during the study.
Some volunteers did experience unwanted side effects, primarily gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea.
Future Research
The company aims to finish the ongoing additional sample and data analyses for the study and report the outcomes upon completion.
Lexaria says a second hypertension study, HYPER-H21-2, has completed the dosing stage, which involves three 150mg doses of DehydraTECH CBD, evenly administered over a 24-hour monitoring period.
The company says it is optimistic that repeated dosing over a sustained period may further improve efficacy.
Lexaria will evaluate and consider the results of both studies before it begins a planned third human clinical hypertension study in Fall 2021.
Lexaria is also considering a fourth expanded, randomized, controlled human clinical hypertension study, dependent on current trial results and investigations into a larger population for expanded statistical and clinical significance.
