Marsha Rosner of the University of Chicago led a team that found CBD appeared to help curb SARS-CoV-2 in infected cells in laboratory experiments.
Rather, it acted soon after the virus entered the cells, blocking it from making copies of itself in part via effects on the inflammatory protein interferon.
When they looked at a group of adults with severe epilepsy, the researchers found those who were taking the approved CBD drug had lower rates of COVID-19.
The CBD her team tested was more than 98% pure, while purity in commercial products is far lower.
In one completed study, researchers in Brazil randomly assigned 105 patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 to receive CBD or a placebo for 14 days along with standard care.
An early-stage trial at Rabin Medical Center, also in Israel, aims to test the effect of CBD in severely or critically ill patients.
Rosner’s team is exploring the possibility of a clinical trial that would likely focus on asymptomatic or mild cases of COVID.
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