Spray Cannabis Soon Available August 19, 2003
News Summary
With trials on Sativex, an oral cannabis spray, showing beneficial results, the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) is expected to approve the painkiller for use by the end of the year, Scotland on Sunday reported Aug. 17.GW Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the drug, conducted the trials on 350 individuals suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). The study found that Sativex eased pain and allows MS sufferers to sleep better. The drug also gave MS patients improved control over their muscles, researchers said.
If regulators from the U.K.'s Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency approve Sativex, a change in law would be needed to allow the cannabis-based drug to be prescribed by doctors without fear of prosecution.
In creating the drug, scientists were able to isolate two primary chemicals in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), to relieve pain without the mind-altering effects of cannabis.
The company recently began trials to determine the benefits of Sativex on cancer and spinal-cord injury patients.
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