About the clinical trial CBD-ESPRIT

Although antipsychotic medications can be effective for treating schizophrenia, they don't work for everyone, and some people experience severe, sometimes intolerable side effects. Additionally, around 75% of people with early schizophrenia experience further episodes after their first one.

Therefore, there is a need for new medications with different mechanisms of action that are equally or more effective and better tolerated than those already available.

Goal of the study

We aim to evaluate whether the additional intake of high-purity CBD in medicinal quality to your individual standard antipsychotic medication improves treatment outcomes.

Medications to be investigated

  • Cannabidiol (CBD)

    Cannabidiol (CBD) is a main component of natural cannabis preparations, i.e., a substance naturally formed by the cannabis plant. Unlike other cannabis plant components, CBD does not cause intoxication and is not likely to induce the addictive behavior.

    Pilot studies – including our own – suggest that high-purity CBD may work as an antipsychotic. However, the available data is not yet sufficient to confirm this and to get CBD approved by health authorities for the general treatment of schizophrenia. Hence, further trials are needed before high-purity CBD can be approved as an antipsychotic or even rejected if it is not sufficiently effective and safe.

    Learn more about the research on CBD here.

  • Placebo

    Placebo is a treatment which has no expected therapeutic benefit but looks identical to the study drug containing the active ingredient. It is substance that is used as a control in testing new drugs.