Marijuana-based seizure treatment gets positive review from FDA

Marijuana-based seizure treatment gets positive review from FDA

Published on 4/18/18

As a new study comes out by GW Pharmaceuticals the FDA is showing positive support for approving the cannabis-based medication, Epidiolex. GW, the British pharma company has been developing Epidiolex for some time and it has drawn plenty of attention. The medication is a CBD oil that does not get the user high and studies are showing that patients using it experience a decrease in monthly seizures of about 40%. Though the FDA stamp of approval would specifically allow Epidiolex for only certain patients, it would open the door for physicians to prescribe it for other illnesses which could call on new research. This week a panel at the FDA will vote on the safety and effectiveness of Epidiolex but the final decision of approval will not come until June.

The FDA posted its review of the experimental medication Epidiolex ahead of a public meeting Thursday when a panel of outside experts will vote on the medicine's safety and effectiveness. It's a non-binding recommendation that the FDA will consider in its final decision by late June.

Patients taking the treatment had fewer seizures, according to the FDA's internal review posted online. Scientists concluded that GW Pharmaceutical's submission "appears to support approval" despite some potential side effects including risks of liver injury.

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