Dronabinol in severe, enduring anorexia nervosa: A randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Objective The evidence for pharmacological treatment of severe, longstanding anorexia nervosa (AN) is sparse and the few controlled pharmacologic studies have focused on a narrow range of drugs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of treatment with a synthetic cannabinoid agonist on body weight and eating disorder‐related psychopathological personality traits in women with severe, enduring AN. Method This add‐on, prospective, randomized, double blind, controlled crossover study was conducted between 2008 and 2011 at a specialized care center for eating disorders. Twenty‐five women over 18 years with AN of at least 5 years duration were randomized to treatment with either dronabinol‐placebo or placebo‐dronabinol. In addition to the standardized baseline therapeutic regime, the participants received dronabinol, 2.5 mg twice daily for 4 weeks and matching placebo for 4 weeks, separated by a 4‐week wash‐out period. Primary outcome was the mean change in body weight. Secondary outcome was score changes on the Eating Disorder Inventory‐2 (EDI‐2). Data were analyzed for the 24 patients who completed the trial. Results During dronabinol treatment, participants gained 0.73 kg (t = 2.86, df = 22, p