Summary
Dronabinol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Obesity would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Obesity. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Dronabinol to Obesity: 1 has completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT03848481). The largest enrolment is 208 participants (NCT00362089). Registration activity spans 2006 to 2020. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 1 systematic review and 1 clinical trial publication. Publication years run from 2012 to 2024. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Obesity ranks 368 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Sustained weight loss of >5% without intervention: ~5-10% at 2 years; weight regain almost universal after behavioural intervention alone (95% return to within 5% of starting weight at 5 years on lifestyle alone).
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 29.0 (trials 4.0, literature 5.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 2 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (1 systematic review, 1 clinical trial publication) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | agonist; agonist |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | CNR1 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT03848481 | CBDV vs Placebo in Children and Adults up to Age 30 With Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) 2020 | terminated | Phase 2 | 6 |
| NCT00362089 | Fatty Acids During Pregnancy and Lactation and Body Fat Mass in Newborns 2006 | completed | Not applicable | 208 |
Published literature
- Systematic review Cannabinoids for obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic reviewBoylan PM, Santibañez M, Thomas J et al. · Pharmacotherapy · 2024 · PMID 39498540
- Clinical trial publication Human abuse potential and cognitive effects of taranabant, a cannabinoid 1 receptor inverse agonist: a randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled, crossover study in recreational polydrug usersSchoedel KA, Addy C, Chakraborty B et al. · Journal of clinical psychopharmacology · 2012 · PMID 22722508
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: agonist; agonist.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target CNR1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dronabinol approved for Obesity?
Dronabinol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Obesity would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Obesity. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Dronabinol in clinical trials for Obesity?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Dronabinol to Obesity: 1 has completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT03848481). The largest enrolment is 208 participants (NCT00362089). Registration activity spans 2006 to 2020.
What does the evidence show for Dronabinol in Obesity?
Dronabinol has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Obesity. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target CNR1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.