Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology
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Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. · Mar 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialEvaluation of the analgesic efficacy and psychoactive effects of AZD1940, a novel peripherally acting cannabinoid agonist, in human capsaicin-induced pain and hyperalgesia.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of AZD1940, a novel peripherally acting cannabinoid CB(1) /CB(2) receptor agonist, on capsaicin-induced pain and hyperalgesia, as well as on biomarkers of cannabinoid central nervous system (CNS) effects. The present study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-sequence, two-period, cross-over study in 44 male healthy volunteers aged 20-45 years. The effects of two single oral doses of AZD1940 (400 and 800 μg) were compared with placebo. ⋯ Dose-dependent mild-to-moderate CNS-related and gastrointestinal adverse events were reported following treatment with AZD1940. No evidence of analgesic efficacy was found for a peripherally acting CB(1)/CB(2) receptor agonist in the human capsaicin pain model. The emergence of mild dose-dependent CNS effects suggests that the dose range predicted from preclinical data had been attained.