THE FIRST CANNABIS-BASED DRUG WILL BE APPROVED IN EUROPE

Independent experts of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended approval of the drug based on medical marijuana as an additional treatment of severe forms of epilepsy in the EU territory, as Reuters writes.

Medicines of this type have already undergone clinical trials for over two year old children suffering from Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome – rare and severe forms of epilepsy. In the United States, such drugs have been officially registered since last year.

The drugs are produced from cannabidiol, but the drugs do not contain tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive component of marijuana.

Clinical studies have shown that in the background of Epidiolex (20 mg/kg/day) the average reduction in seizure frequency was 42%, while in the placebo group this figure was 17%. In the group of patients who took the experimental remedy in the dosage of 10 mg/kg/day, the seizure frequency decreased by 37%.