Photos Courtesy of DR. D. SAMBA REDDY
D. Samba Reddy, PhD, RPh, is a professor of neuroscience and experimental therapeutics at Texas A&M School of Medicine who is making crucial steps in revolutionizing epilepsy treatment. His recent research focuses on reducing seizures with cannabidiol, an active component in cannabis more commonly known as CBD and an option that will soon be readily available as a prescription medicine for adult epilepsy patients, he says.
Reddy is a board-certified pharmacist-pharmacologist currently serving as the director of the Texas A&M Institute of Pharmacology and Neurotherapeutics. Prior to A&M, Dr. Reddy worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where his interest in epilepsy first began. His early research led to the FDA approval of the first neurosteroid epilepsy medication, Ganaxolone, in 2022. Now, he leads student research at A&M with the goal of creating an FDA-approved CBD treatment and exploring CBD as a method of epilepsy prevention.
Epilepsy is a brain disorder associated with frequent and unexpected seizures. People suffering from the disorder are, in most cases, prevented from obtaining a driver's license or working any job requiring constant attention, such as a medical professional or first responder. The disorder affects approximately 3.5 million people nationally and 50 million people around the world, according to the World Health Organization. There is no cure, and the only treatment options available can not guarantee efficacy, only controlling seizures in approximately 7 out of 10 patients, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.
While at the NIH, Dr. Reddy recognized an extreme lack of medical advancements focusing on the disorder; since then, he is determined to change that.
“The diagnosis of epilepsy is unlike any other human diseases,” Dr. Reddy says. “It’s quite devastating to the person and their families due to social concerns from repeated seizures, which affect their daily life and pose safety issues. In our society, individuals with epilepsy are often feel stigmatized due to the persistent fear of their next seizure, so I decided to dedicate my whole career to epilepsy research. We want to find out the cause and design new, better medications so patients can live longer and improve their quality of life.”
In 2013, national attention was drawn to the possibility of CBD as an epilepsy treatment following the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. Parents of epileptic children began relocating their families to the state over claims of cannabis extract reducing seizures. Dr. Reddy began systematic research in 2015, but because of the current Texas state laws regarding marijuana, was limited in his research due to the product’s lack of availability. In 2018 the FDA approved Epidiolex, a CBD treatment for pediatric epilepsy and the first-ever cannabis product approved for medical use in the US. This medical milestone gave Reddy the accessibility he needed to transition from systematic research to lab testing of the product.
“We are proposing that the same [CBD] product (Epidiolex) can be used in a different dosage for adults either taken alone or given in combination with another anti seizure medication,” Dr. Reddy says.
“We’re trying to prove which existing medications will work best in combination with CBD so that patients can start getting the benefits immediately.”
So far, the data collected through his research and lab testing has resulted in five key publications by Dr. Reddy and student contributors that serve as the base framework for future clinical trials. If the clinical trials produce positive data, the product will then go to the FDA for approval. The entire process will likely be complete within the next two to three years, Dr. Reddy says.
“I’m very grateful for this opportunity to do research that is directly benefiting patients in front of my eyes,” Dr. Reddy says. “This is one of the few dozen labs in the country dedicated to doing epilepsy research, and our goal is to show patients that help is on the way for them in the form of new medicines.”
In addition to making great strides in the field of CBD medical research, Dr. Reddy’s work has also included hundreds of A&M graduate students. These students and postdoctoral fellow have worked alongside Reddy throughout his research, gaining insights into experimental design, data analysis, and the scientific methodologies required for advancing medical science.
“In my lab, I promote a dream, whether it be a career doing brain research, in academic settings, in the pharma industry, or joining a hospital to do clinical trials,” Dr. Reddy says. “I’m very privileged that Texas A&M provides all the facilities, excellent student pool, and overall nurturing environment for this type of research–epilepsy research.”
