CBD derivative gets 'orphan drug' status

Posted on November 18th, 2013 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , , .

THCBritish firm GW Pharmaceuticals has won "orphan drug status"—a special category for agents developed to treat rare diseases—from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Epidiolex, a derivative of cannabidiol (CBD), to treat Dravet syndrome, a severe form epilepsy. In Utah, parents who are lobbying to import CBD-rich cannabis strains from Colorado, say they will keep up their campaign. "This changes nothing" in regard to children being able to access CBD, said Jennifer May, mother of 11-year-old Stockton, who suffers from Dravet syndrome. "On the other hand, it does lend credibility to the potential of CBD as a treatment." Like many Dravet patients, Stockton has tried dozens of pharmaceutical fixes, and run out of options. He can no longer use the toilet and has to be fed from a tube. "Orphan drug" designation qualifies GW for tax credits and exclusive rights to the drug if approved. But FDA approval for Epidiolex could take a year or more. (Salt Lake Tribune, Nov. 18)

Graphic of THC molecule from Lycaeum

 

Comments

Is Utah a medical marijuana state?

Bill Weinberg's picture

Utah’s Republican Gov. Gary Herbert has approved a law allowing use of CBD extract in very limited circusmtances. The law takes effect on July 1 and expires in 2016. It is restricted to those with severe epilepsy for whom the regular treatments are not effective, and requires a neurologist's consent to obtain and use the extract. The extract comes from a strain of cannabis called Charlotte’s Web, named after the first child treated with it. The plant is low in THC and high in CBD. (AP, March 25)

Comment by Bill Weinberg on Apr 2nd, 2014 at 10:53 pm

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