Innocan Publishes Placebo-Controlled Study Showing Long-Acting CBD Benefits in Dogs With Osteoarthritis

Innocan Publishes Placebo-Controlled Study Showing Long-Acting CBD Benefits in Dogs With Osteoarthritis

By, Admin 10 February 2026

Innocan Pharma Corporation has published new clinical data in Frontiers in Veterinary Science demonstrating the efficacy, safety, and sustained pharmacokinetics of its liposomal synthetic cannabidiol (LPT-CBD) injection in dogs with osteoarthritis.

The study used a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover design, strengthening the clinical relevance of the findings.

Study Design at a Glance

  • Population: 8 client-owned dogs with naturally occurring osteoarthritis
  • Intervention:
    • LPT-CBD (7 mg/kg, subcutaneous)
    • Placebo (empty liposomes, identical formulation)
  • Design: Randomized, blinded, crossover
  • Dosing interval: 4 weeks
  • Assessments:
    • Owner-reported outcomes
    • Veterinary specialist scoring
    • Activity-monitoring collars
    • Plasma CBD and metabolite levels
    • Hematology and biochemistry

Key Efficacy Results

LPT-CBD showed statistically significant superiority over placebo.

Notable outcomes included:

  • Owner-reported behavior and function
    • Improvement in 100% of dogs after LPT-CBD
    • Only 25% after placebo
    • p = 0.0217
  • Lameness reduction
    • Visual Lameness Scale
    • p = 0.033 vs placebo
  • Pain reduction
    • Interactive visual analog scale
    • p = 0.005 vs placebo

These benefits were sustained for up to four weeks after a single injection.

Pharmacokinetics: Sustained CBD Exposure

The liposomal formulation delivered a long-acting release profile:

  • Measurable plasma CBD concentrations persisted up to four weeks
  • Clinical improvements aligned with sustained systemic exposure

This supports the platform’s goal of infrequent dosing with stable drug levels.

Safety and Tolerability

LPT-CBD was well tolerated. Reported adverse events were:

  • Mild, self-limiting fever (~2 days)
  • Transient injection-site swelling
  • No treatment required

No clinically relevant laboratory abnormalities were observed.

Why This Study Matters?

This trial builds on Innocan’s earlier 2023 pilot study by:

  • Adding a placebo comparator
  • Using a crossover design
  • Demonstrating clear differentiation from liposomal placebo

The data strengthens the case that liposomal delivery—not just CBD exposure—drives durable benefit.

Company Commentary

Professor Chezy Barenholz, Head of the Advisory Board:

  • Highlighted the importance of demonstrating superiority over placebo
  • Reinforced consistency across multiple animal studies

Dr. Eyal Kalo, VP R&D:

  • Confirmed ongoing discussions with the FDA CVM
  • Also noted engagement with the human analgesic and anesthetic division of the FDA

This signals parallel veterinary and human development intent.

Big Picture Takeaway

This is not just another CBD study. It shows that:

  • Controlled, long-acting delivery matters
  • Single-dose, non-opioid pain management is feasible
  • Liposomal CBD can produce durable, measurable clinical benefit

For Innocan, this publication meaningfully de-risks the platform on efficacy, duration, and safety, especially versus placebo.

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