FDA Approves Abbott's Marinol

Marinol (dronabinol) is a man-made form of cannabis (marijuana is an herbal form of cannabis). Dronabinol causes many effects on your central nervous system.

Marinol is used to treat loss of appetite in people with AIDS. It is also used to treat severe nausea and vomiting that is caused by cancer chemotherapy. Marinol is for use only when other medications have been unable to control the nausea and vomiting.

MARINOL® is a unique prescription medicine that relieves multiple symptoms. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved MARINOL® to treat nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional treatments.

The FDA also approved MARINOL® to treat appetite loss associated with weight loss in people with AIDS. Health care professionals may prescribe MARINOL® to help stimulate an HIV/AIDS patient’s appetite so he or she will want to eat again.

MARINOL® is a synthetic version of a naturally occurring compound known as delta-9-THC. Delta-9-THC stimulates appetite and reduces nausea and vomiting by binding to special receptors found in the nervous system.

This medication is used to treat nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy. It is used when other drugs to control nausea and vomiting have not been successful. Dronabinol is also used to treat loss of appetite and weight loss in patients infected with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). Dronabinol (also called THC) is a man-made form of the active natural substance in marijuana.