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UK: GW Sets Up Launch of Cannabis Drugs

Rosie Murray-West

The Telegraph

Thursday 16 Jan 2003

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GW Pharmaceuticals, which has a Home Office licence to produce
cannabis-derived medicines, said yesterday that it was on track to launch
the first of its products before the end of the year.

Geoffrey Guy, executive chairman, said the company hoped to follow up UK
approval with similar licences in Continental countries in the near future,
but it could be several years before the product is available in the US.

"The US likes to go back to first principles," he said. "They want more
work and more cost." He said that GW has had discussions with the US drugs
regulator, the FDA, and that he was "happy with the way discussions have gone".

However, he said the company would need a development partner if it was to
launch in the US. "I am not content to allocate GW balance sheet resources
to US development," he said.

GW's first launch in the UK is likely to be an under-the-tongue spray for
treating sufferers from multiple sclerosis and neuropathic pain.

Mr Guy said that licensing the cannabis-derived medicine would not require
a change in the law, merely to secondary legislation. "Our medicine will
need to be scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Act, like opiates are," he said.

At the same time as the drug is being approved by the Medicines Control
Agency, it will be looked at by the National Institute for Clinical
Excellence to see if it should be provided on the National Health Service.

Mr Guy was speaking as the company reported its full-year results. The
business reported an increased loss of £12.2m, against £7.2m last year.

Mr Guy said this was due to increased research and development as well as
further staff costs. "We are a much bigger organisation than we used to
be," he said.

The company has also just started trials of a new tamper-proof dispenser
for methadone, used to treat heroin addiction.

This project is backed by the Home Office and aims to prevent the need for
"shooting galleries" where addicts are treated under supervision with
injected methadone to prevent misuse. GW shares fell 4.5 to 171p.

 

 

 

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