Sydney-based Aruma Labs has teamed up with Applied Cannabis Research to join the CA Clinics Observational Study of medicinal cannabis products (CACOS), with a focus on collecting data from patients with endometriosis.
Endometriosis affects more than 11% of Australian women and is characterised by the presence of endometrial tissue, normally found inside the uterus, in other areas of the abdomen.
The reduction in quality of life for sufferers has been estimated at A$4 billion per annum (Ernst & Young, 2019: The Cost of Endometriosis in Australia Report).
Some 200 women will be recruited through CA Clinics to participate in the study, which will monitor the safety and efficacy of medicinal cannabis as an adjunct treatment and management option for refractory chronic pain, a common symptom of endometriosis.
Aruma will include their medicinal cannabis products in the study, and Applied
Cannabis Research will collect data about its safety and efficacy, as well as tracking
pain and quality of life outcomes in patients prescribed an Aruma product.
CACOS is an observational study of the health outcomes of 3,000 CA Clinics patients nationwide who are prescribed medicinal cannabis for the treatment of refractory conditions.
Aruma CEO Louis Williams said: “Research shows that women with endometriosis often wait up to eight years before they receive a diagnosis. During that time, they can suffer debilitating pain, depression and a diminished quality of life.
Principal investigator at Applied Cannabis Research Dr John Barlow described endometriosis as “a chronic and debilitating condition… characterized by infertility and chronic pelvic pain, yet treatment options remain limited”.
Nila, a CA Clinics patient, said: “I was on opioids and it was excruciating to be medicated heavily and struggling to get out of bed every day. I suffer from stage 4 endometriosis. I go through pain every day. Treatment has helped with my anxiety, pain, appetite, excessive sweating, sleep, regulates my hormonal imbalance and mood swings and I get energy from it.”
“I was on opioids and it was excruciating to be medicated heavily and struggling to get out of bed every day.”
Nila, ca clinics patient
Barlow added: “Medicinal cannabis is increasingly being used for the treatment of refractory pain but its efficacy as a therapeutic for endometrial pain is unknown. This observational study will first demonstrate the efficacy of cannabis to treat endometrial pain as well as indicating which cannabinoid formulations are the most potent.”
Addiction specialist and medical director at CA Clinics Dr Mark Hardy said the positive impacts of medical cannabis on pain make it suitable for consideration as a treatment option for endometriosis, alongside current treatments.
He added: “Cannabinoids are being researched for their impact on… angiogenesis, a key aspect of the pathology of endometriosis, as well as their anti-inflammatory properties. The evidence-based research of CACOS is essential for better treatment and health outcomes.”
Healthcare professionals and eligible patients over the age of 18 seeking more details
regarding the Endometriosis Study or medicinal cannabis treatment pathways can
contact CA Clinics at 1300 991 477 or info@caclinics.com.au.