Unimed's Dronabinol In Alzheimer's Disease

A small, 12-patient study has found that Unimed's Marinol (dronabinol) is effective in treating loss of appetite, reducing disturbed behavior and improving mood in Alzheimer's disease. The data were reported at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders in Osaka, Japan, last week.

After 12 weeks of treatment (six weeks of dronabinol followed by six weeks of placebo, or vice versa), researchers found that dronabinol treatment caused significant increases in patient weight, and decreased negative symptoms while leaving positive feelings unchanged. The severity of disturbed behavior was also reduced during (and sustained after) dronabinol treatment.