Skip to main content

Medical cannabis product approved for epilepsy - BBC News

Medical cannabis product approved for epilepsy - BBC News




The EU has approved for the first time the use of a medicinal cannabis product aimed at patients with two rare, but severe, forms of childhood epilepsy.

Doctors can prescribe Epidyolex - an oral solution of cannabidiol, which comes from the cannabis plant - if they think it will help sufferers.

It has been approved for use in the UK and other European countries, but the NHS does not currently recommend it.

But some parents want alternatives that contain a component not in this drug.

Last month, the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence made an initial decision not to recommend prescribing Epidyolex, due to lack of evidence of long-term effectiveness.

Final guidance is due later this year.

What is Epidyolex?

The drug does not contain any of the psycho-active component of cannabis, a compound called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Some parents, who have travelled to the Netherlands to buy cannabis medicines, feel the treatment will not help many children because it does not contain THC, which they argue has helped their children.

Epidyolex has been approved as a treatment option for children as young as two with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome - difficult-to-treat conditions that can cause multiple seizures a day.

The medication, developed by GW Pharmaceuticals, will be used in combination with another epilepsy medication called clobazam.

What about other medical cannabis products?

There are many different medical cannabis products. The use of ones containing THC was legalised across the UK in November 2018.

These treatments can be prescribed only by specialist doctors in a limited number of circumstances where other medicines have failed.

Few of these unlicensed prescriptions have been made on the NHS.

There are some other cannabis-based medicines that are licensed in the UK.

Nabilone is a medicine, taken as a capsule, that has been developed to act in a similar way to THC.

Doctors can give it to people having chemotherapy to help with nausea.

Sativex is a cannabis-based medicine that contains THC and CBD and is licensed in the UK for people with multiple sclerosis.

Recreational use of cannabis remains illegal.

What do experts say?

Ley Sander, Medical Director at the Epilepsy Society and Professor of Neurology at University College London, said: "This new drug will bring hope for some families and EU approval feels like a positive step. Medicinal cannabis, however, still remains a medical minefield and there are many hurdles ahead.

"CBD was not recommended by NICE for prescription on the NHS. It is important that the pharmaceutical industry continues to work with the medical advisory body to ensure that drugs are cost effective and that its long-term effects are clear."

Let's block ads! (Why?)



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49795260

from potads - All Forums learn more

Popular posts from this blog

Martha Stewart launches CBD line in crowded market - CNN

Martha Stewart launches CBD line in crowded market - CNN The hemp-derived, cannabidiol-rich gummies, soft gels and oil drops officially launched on Thursday after more than a year in development. The products are the result of the style maven's partnership with Canopy Growth ( CGC ) , the Canadian cannabis company with a multibillion-dollar backer in US alcohol giant Constellation Brands ( STZ ) . Stewart joined Canopy as an adviser in early 2019 for the express purpose of developing cannabis products for humans and their pets after being introduced to Canopy's founder by her friend Calvin Broadus Jr. -- the rapper and businessman better known as Snoop Dogg. His Leafs by Snoop cannabis brand is produced by Canopy. The initial Martha Stewart CBD products, which range from $34.99 to $44.99, will be sold online at Canopy's e-commerce site . The pet products are expected to debut later this year. "I was surprised to learn that while most people have heard of
Read more

The Half-Legal Cannabis Trap - POLITICO

The Half-Legal Cannabis Trap - POLITICO LOS ANGELES — Everything about Kelvin’s job in a neighborhood southwest of downtown seemed like any other assignment, if not a little more exciting. The 40-year-old, who had previously worked as an electrician, had been employed since 2015 by a private security company that contracted him out to guard marijuana dispensaries. In 2019, he was protecting one of the thousand or so cannabis stores in California’s biggest city—part of an industry that has grown less and less underground since 1996, when the state first legalized medical marijuana. Kelvin, who asked not to be identified beyond his middle name to avoid professional retaliation, doesn’t smoke pot, but says the gig felt like the future. He grew up in a time when other Black people he knew in Los Angeles would go to jail for possessing even small amounts of the drug. Now, customers could walk into shops like the one he was guarding, many of which can be identified by green crosses on
Read more

This UK-Based Entrepreneur Has Mastered the Art of Entrepreneurship - Entrepreneur

This UK-Based Entrepreneur Has Mastered the Art of Entrepreneurship - Entrepreneur June 20, 2020 5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. All businesses hinge on the success of their founders. With their unique blend of innovation and brilliance, successful entrepreneurs can transform their industries by filling a gap in the market. This is what Vithurs (or V, as he likes to be called) did when he entered the digital marketing world and ultimately launched Blessed CBD —one of the fastest growing CBD brands in the UK. His unique skill set, paired with his fearless approach to business and deep knowledge of the cannabis industry, propelled him towards success. Because ultimately, a company is only as successful as its founder. And there’s no arguing Vithurs is a leading name in the UK’s growing cannabis industry. Global reach in digital marketing Born and raised in the UK, Vithurs was just 13 when he delved into Internet marketing f
Read more