First FDA-approved cannabinoid-derived drug for seizures

GW Pharmaceuticals (CA, USA) have announced that the US FDA has approved EPIDIOLEX® (cannabidiol) oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS) or Dravet syndrome in patients 2 years of age or older. LGS and Dravet syndrome are rare, severe forms of epilepsy, which develop in childhood, and are notoriously treatment-resistant. Most patients with these forms of epilepsy require multiple seizure medications and the majority are resistant to currently approved antiepileptic drugs. EPIDIOLEX is the first prescription pharmaceutical formulation of highly purified, plant-derived cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabinoid lacking the high associated with marijuana, and the first...