Full-Spectrum Cannabis Extract for Chronic Pain and Bone Health Biomarkers in Women (ORION)

Evaluation of Bone Turnover Biomarkers, CB2 and TRPV1 Polymorphisms as Potential Preventive Data in Osteoporosis and Perception of Improvement in Quality of Life in Women With Chronic Pain Treated With Medicinal Cannabis

Chronic pain disproportionately affects women and may coexist with impaired bone health, particularly during midlife and after menopause. The endocannabinoid system is involved in pain modulation and bone homeostasis; however, clinical studies that integrate pain outcomes, bone-related biomarkers, genetic variants, and salivary endocannabinoids remain limited.This randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled crossover trial will evaluate the effects of a full-spectrum medicinal cannabis extract with a cannabidiol to tetrahydrocannabinol ratio of 5:1 on chronic pain in women aged 45 to 80 years with chronic pain refractory to conventional treatment. Eighty participants will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment sequences: full-spectrum cannabis extract followed by matching placebo, or matching placebo followed by full-spectrum cannabis extract. The treatment periods, washout interval, and visit schedule will follow the final approved protocol.The primary outcome is change in chronic pain intensity measured using the Visual Analog Scale. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, sleep quality, functional impact, bone health biomarkers, bone mineral density measured by dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry, salivary endocannabinoids, the association of CB and TRPV genetic variants with treatment response, and adverse events. The study aims to generate evidence on the clinical effects and biological correlates of medicinal cannabis therapy in women with chronic pain.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Chronic Pain; Fibromyalgia; Osteoporosis; Orofacial Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Full-Spectrum Cannabis Extract 5:1 (CBD:THC)

Detailed Description

This is a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial conducted in women aged 45 to 80 years with moderate to severe chronic pain that has persisted for at least 3 months and has not responded adequately to conventional pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatments. Participants will be randomlyallocated in permuted blocks to one of two treatments sequences. Sequence A will receive a full-spectrum medicinal cannabis extract with a cannabidiol to tetrahydrocannabinol ratio of 5:1 during the first treatment period, followed by a protocol-defined washout interval and matching placebo during the second treatment period. Sequence B will receive matching placebo during the first treatment period, followed by the washout interval and the full-spectrum medicinal cannabis extract during the second treatment period. The study product will be administered orally as softgel capsules. The target daily dose is 25 milligrams of cannabidiol and 5 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol. Dose titration during the first 2 weeks of each active treatment period will follow the final approved protocol.Participants, care providers, investigators, and outcome assessors will remain masked to treatment assignment as operationally applicable. Randomization will use a computer-generated sequence with permuted blocks of 4 and allocation concealment through opaque, sealed envelopes. The product and matching placebo will be supplied in indistinguishable presentations.Clinical evaluations will include pain intensity, quality of life, functional impact, sleep quality, concomitant medications, adherence, and adverse events. Laboratory assessments will include safety tests, selected bone metabolism biomarkers, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress biomarkers. Bone mineral density and body composition will be assessed using dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry at protocol-defined baseline and final visits. Genetic analysis will evaluate CB and TRPV variants. Salivary anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, palmitoylethanolamide, and oleoylethanolamide will be quantified using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry according to the final sample collection schedule.The primary efficacy analysis will compare pain outcomes across cannabis and placebo treatment periods while accounting for the crossover design. Secondary analyses will evaluate changes in patient-reported outcomes and biomarkers, treatment safety, and associations between genetic variants or salivary endocannabinoid profiles and treatment response.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 80
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: José Wilson N V Andrade, MD; Phone Number: +55 11 971905328; Email: dr.jwilsonandrade@gmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Alethéia B P Barbosa, PhD; Phone Number: +55 11 97247-1484; Email: abpablos@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Brazil
  • São Paulo
    • São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 09130-040
      • Projeto Shalom
      • Contact: Alethéia B P Barbosa, PhD; Phone Number: +55 11 97247-1484; Email: abpablos@gmail.com
      • Contact: José Wilson N V Andrade, MD; Phone Number: + 55 11 971905328; Email: dr.jwilsonandrade@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female sex, age 45 to 80 years
• Moderate to severe chronic pain, defined as a pain score of at least 4 on a 0 to 10 Visual Analog Scale, persisting for more than 3 months
• Documented inadequate response to at least 2 classes of analgesic treatments or non-pharmacological treatments
• Willingness to abstain from smoked cannabis and non-study cannabinoid products during the study
• Ability to understand the informed consent form and study questionnaires
• Willingness and ability to attend scheduled visits and biological sample collections during the study follow-up period

Exclusion Criteria:

• Cognitive impairment that precludes understanding of the informed consent form or study questionnaires
• Uncontrolled psychiatric condition, including uncontrolled psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or intention to become pregnant during the study
• Current use of medicinal cannabis, smoked cannabis, or other cannabinoid products
• Known hypersensitivity to cannabinoids or formulation excipients
• Clinically significant hepatic impairment, defined as aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal, or severe heart failure classified as New York Heart Association class III or IV
• History of substance use disorder that, in the investigator's judgment, may interfere with study participation
• Use of medications that may interfere with bone metabolism, including bisphosphonates, systemic corticosteroids, or sex hormones, within 6 months before enrollment

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cannabis Extract Then Placebo; Participants receive oral full-spectrum cannabis extract with a cannabidiol to tetrahydrocannabinol ratio of 5:1 during Treatment Period 1, followed by the protocol-defined washout interval and matching placebo during Treatment Period 2.	Drug: Full-Spectrum Cannabis Extract 5:1 (CBD:THC); Oral softgel capsule containing full-spectrum medicinal cannabis extract with a cannabidiol to tetrahydrocannabinol ratio of 5:1. The target daily dose is 25 milligrams of cannabidiol and 5 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol. Participants will receive the study product once daily in the evening, with gradual dose titration during the first 2 weeks of each active treatment period, according to the final approved protocol. The product will be administered for the duration of each protocol-defined active treatment period.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo Then Cannabis Extract; Participants receive matching placebo during Treatment Period 1, followed by the protocol-defined washout interval and oral full-spectrum cannabis extract with a cannabidiol to tetrahydrocannabinol ratio of 5:1 during Treatment Period 2.	Drug: Full-Spectrum Cannabis Extract 5:1 (CBD:THC); Oral softgel capsule containing full-spectrum medicinal cannabis extract with a cannabidiol to tetrahydrocannabinol ratio of 5:1. The target daily dose is 25 milligrams of cannabidiol and 5 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol. Participants will receive the study product once daily in the evening, with gradual dose titration during the first 2 weeks of each active treatment period, according to the final approved protocol. The product will be administered for the duration of each protocol-defined active treatment period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change From Period Baseline in Chronic Pain Intensity on the Visual Analog Scale	Chronic pain intensity will be measured using a 0 to 10 Visual Analog Scale, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. The baseline score will be the mean pain intensity reported over the preceding 7 days. A clinical response is defined as a reduction of at least 30 percent from the baseline score of the corresponding treatment period.	At the baseline and end of each treatment period, approximately 6 months per period.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change From Period Baseline in Sleep Quality on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.	Sleep quality will be measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a self-reported instrument with a global score from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate worse sleep quality.	At baseline and at 3 and 6 Months each treatment period.
Change From Period Baseline in Health-Related Quality of Life on the 36-Item Short Form Survey.	Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Scores are calculated for 8 domains from 0 to 100; higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life.	At baseline and at Months 3 and 6 of each treatment period.
Change From Period Baseline in Pain-Related Quality of Life on the WHOQOL-Pain Instrument.	Pain-related quality of life will be assessed using the Portuguese version of the WHOQOL-Pain instrument. Scoring and interpretation will follow the validated instrument manual.	At baseline and at Months 3 and 6 of each treatment period.
Change From Period Baseline in Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire Score Among Participants With Fibromyalgia.	Functional impact among participants with a clinical diagnosis of fibromyalgia will be assessed using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). The scale will be scored according to the validated Portuguese version; higher scores indicate greater disease impact.	At baseline and at Months 3 and 6 of each treatment period.
Change From Baseline in Bone Mineral Density Measured by Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry.	Bone mineral density and body composition will be assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Bone mineral density will be reported in grams per square centimeter and interpreted using T-scores according to applicable clinical criteria.	At baseline and at the final study visit, approximately 12 months after enrollment.
Change From Period Baseline in Serum Bone Turnover Biomarkers.	Serum bone health biomarkers will include the final protocol-specified panel of alkaline phosphatase, total and ionized calcium, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and parathyroid hormone. If procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide and C-terminal telopeptide are retained in the final protocol, they should be listed here explicitly.	At baseline and at protocol-defined follow-up visits through final study completion, approximately 12 months.
Association of CB2 and TRPV1 Genetic Variants With Pain Treatment Response.	Genotyping of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2/CNR2) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) variants will be performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Associations between genotype or haplotype and the prespecified Visual Analog Scale pain response will be evaluated.	Genotyping at baseline; association with pain response through the end of each treatment period, approximately 12 months.
Change From Baseline in Salivary Endocannabinoid Concentrations.	Salivary concentrations of anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, palmitoylethanolamide, and oleoylethanolamide will be quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and reported in nanograms per milliliter.	Use the final collection schedule; do not submit this entry until the protocol is harmonized as baseline-only or serial sampling.
Number of Participants With Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events.	Adverse events will be collected through clinical visits and weekly remote pharmacotherapeutic monitoring. Events will be classified by severity, seriousness, relatedness to study treatment, and treatment period.	From first study product administration through the end of each treatment period, approximately 6 months per period.
Change From Period Baseline in Hepatic and Renal Safety Laboratory Values.	Safety laboratory assessments will include protocol-specified hepatic and renal tests, including aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, urea, and creatinine. Results will be reported in standard laboratory units.	At baseline and at protocol-defined follow-up visits through final study completion, approximately 12 months.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Associação Pan-Americana Multidisciplinar de Endocanabinologia
• Collaborators: Mackenzie Presbiterian University, São Paulo, Brazil; Associação Brasileira de Cannabis Medicinal
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Alethéia B P Barbosa, PhD, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie

Publications and helpful links

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Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 20, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 20, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): August 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 26, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 24, 2026
• Last Verified: August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: chronic pain; Women; bone mineral density; cannabidiol; tetrahydrocannabinol; medical cannabis; bone turnover; crossover trial; TRPV1 receptor; CB1 receptor; CB2 receptor
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Bone Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases; Metabolic Diseases; Bone Diseases, Metabolic; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Fibromyalgia; Chronic Pain; Osteoporosis; Facial Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: UPM-BONE-RELIEF-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No