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UK: US victory for cannabis-based cancer drug

Charlotte Moore

The Guardian

Thursday 05 Jan 2006

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A drug derived from cannabis to treat severe pain in cancer patients has
been given the go-ahead to enter final stage trials in the US. GW
Pharma, which is licensed to grow certain varieties of cannabis, said
the US food and drug administration had given it the green light to
carry out phase III trials of its drug, Sativex. A spokesman for the
company said: "This is a major step. The US is the world's largest
pharmaceutical market."

The trial will establish whether the drug relieves pain in patients
suffering from an advanced form of cancer who do not experience relief
from opioid drugs such as morphine. About 250 patients will be enrolled
in the trial.

Sativex contains two chemicals - tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol -
which the company extracts from plants it grows in secret locations. The
drug is approved in Canada to relieve pain in patients suffering from
multiple sclerosis. In the UK, the company is still conducting trials to
gain approval for treating muscle tightness in multiple sclerosis patients.

GW said it had raised $15m (UKP8.6m) by selling new shares to New
York-based Polygon Investment Partners. Its executive chairman, Dr
Geoffrey Guy, said: "This financing will permit GW to start the US
development of Sativex while the company seeks a US licensing partner."

 

 

 

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