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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Wire: GW Pharma To Test Cannabis Use For Cancer Pain
ccguide Thursday 17 Jan 2002 Pubdate: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 Source: Reuters (Wire) Copyright: 2002 Reuters Limited Author: Stephen Cunningham GW PHARMA TO TEST CANNABIS USE FOR CANCER PAIN LONDON - UK patients suffering from terminal cancer will soon get the chance to test cannabis-based medicines if a pioneering British pharmaceutical company gets its way. GW Pharmaceuticals, which has a government licence to grow cannabis, said on Wednesday it was expanding clinical trials to ease the pain of cancer patients. Trials involving patients with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury had already proved successful, it said. While cannabis use is illegal, many people in the UK suffering from serious diseases have long been lobbying for its use for medicinal purposes. GW said more than 100 patients who have terminal cancer and who are suffering pain that is not responding to current therapy, will take part in trials at more than 20 centres throughout the country. Patients will not actually smoke the drug but use an under-the-tongue spray. On Wednesday, its shares were trading up 1.3 percent at 116-1/2 pence. Executive Chairman Geoffrey Guy said this represented a key milestone for GW since "cannabis-based medecine has the potential to provide considerable advantages over current medications to cancer patients." Around 40 percent of cancer sufferers could benefit if the trials were successful, he added. At the same time, GW posted pre-tax losses of 7.2 million pounds ($10.4 million) for the year to September 30, widening from losses of 2.3 million the previous year, largely reflecting planned increases in research and development and administrative costs. Despite the losses, Guy said GW was on course to become the first company in the world to win regulatory approval for prescription cannabis-based medicines. "We remain confident of being able to present data to the UK regulatory authorities in 2003, and -- subject to approval -- bring the first cannabis-based prescription medicine to market in early 2004," Guy said. R&D spending increased to 6.6 million pounds from 2.0 million in 2000 and was set to increase further in 2002, the company said. GW's share offering was over-subscribed six times when it came to the market at 180 pence back in the summer, but adverse publicity then brought it down to a low of just 59-1/2 pence. The shares picked up after Home Secretary David Blunkett said the government would allow cannabis to be used for medicinal purposes. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth
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