Wales NHS to offer MS cannabis drug Sativex

[foolsgold]

The NHS in Wales will be the first in the UK to fund a cannabis-based medicine for people with multiple sclerosis.

Sativex is taken as an oral spray and has been approved by the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG).

It will be available on prescription to treat muscle spasms for MS patients who have not responded to other medicine.

The MS Society said Wales was leading the way in the treatment.

Its programme director for policy, Sally Hughes, added: "Muscle spasms and stiffness in MS can be painful and distressing and so the availability of a treatment that can potentially alleviate these symptoms is good news.

"We particularly welcome this decision considering the draft NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) clinical guideline, published in April, rejected this treatment for use on the NHS in Wales and England based on a flawed assessment of the drug's cost effectiveness.

'Ease suffering'
"For some time we've been aware of people in Wales paying privately for this licensed treatment; this decision should make life a lot easier for them."

Sativex is the first cannabis-based medicine to be licensed in the UK.

Tony Wiggins, chairman of the Cardiff and Vale MS Society, has trialled Sativex and called it a "tremendous step forward".

"It's good for spasms and other effects of MS - and it does work," he said.

"And if a treatment works then it should be made available."

Wales Health Minister Mark Drakeford said: "Following the appraisal of Sativex by the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group, I am pleased to announce we will be making the medicine available on the Welsh NHS to those who need it.

"I hope this decision will help ease the suffering of some of those who have to live with the reality of MS everyday."

Director of service development at the Multiple Sclerosis Trust, Amy Bowen, said: "We are extremely pleased that people with MS in Wales will finally have better access to Sativex.

"As a charity we have campaigned over a long period for Sativex to be widely available because of the significant impact that MS spasticity can have on daily activities.

"We just hope that this recommendation will now lead to Sativex being more easily accessible in the rest of the UK."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-28810407

 

[poledriver]

7 Things You Need To Know About Sativex

Many are starting to hear about a marijuana-based pharmaceutical called Sativex. The drug, which comes as an oral spray, is now available in 24 countries as a treatment for multiple sclerosis.

While yet to be approved in the United States, Sativex can be prescribed in countries like Canada, Australia, Britain and, most recently, France. But the drug has generated a lot of talk in the U.S., largely due to its role in the medical marijuana debate.

According to a recent interview with GW Pharmaceuticals, the company behind the drug, Sativex could be just months away from FDA approval. And if that happens, there’s no doubt the debate over marijuana as a medicine will only intensify. Below are a few facts about Sativex that should be considered:

1. Sativex is a marijuana extract.

Despite its pharmaceutical sounding name, Sativex is made from the cannabis plant itself. GW Pharmaceuticals CEO Geoffrey Guy has noted to the press that Sativex contains all of the same compounds found in cannabis.

The difference, however, is that Sativex is manufactured using modern processes that allow the medicine to be standardized – meaning that each bottle of the spray contains the same concentration of active ingredients. The formula for Sativex includes a 1:1 equal ratio of THC to CBD.

A lack of standardization happens to be one of the main sticking points for doctors who hesitate to support medical marijuana.

2. Sativex is made in a country where cannabis is illegal.

Sativex is developed and manufactured in the UK, where GW Pharmaceuticals is based.

Despite the fact that marijuana remains illegal in the UK, even for medical purposes, the government issued a license to GW Pharmaceuticals in 1998 allowing the company to grow cannabis for the development of new medicines.

Currently, Sativex is an approved treatment in the UK. While at the same time, advocacy groups are still fighting to have medical marijuana legalized in the country.

3. Sativex has all the same side effects as marijuana.

Since Sativex is made from cannabis, it also produces a high. While the ratio of THC to CBD may be less than that of more potent cannabis strains, Health Canada’s Fact Sheet warns that Sativex can still cause “symptoms of cannabinoid intoxication.”

Dizziness and fatigue are also the most commonly reported side effects of taking Sativex. And like cannabis, studies have confirmed that Sativex has no permanent effect on cognitive function.

On the other hand, Sativex is administered as a mouth spray and has been found to cause oral discomfort in 20-25% of patients. Medical marijuana users do not typically experience this problem and often rely on vaporizers to avoid the negative effects of smoking.

4. Sativex could hit pharmacies as early as this year.

Sativex has been gradually making its way through the FDA approval process. It is currently in Phase III trials, the final phase of clinical trials, as a treatment for cancer pain.

GW Pharmaceuticals says it expects to receive final FDA approval within this year or the next. Once approved, the drug could be prescribed by doctors and sold in pharmacies across the U.S.

5. Sativex is expensive.

The cost of Sativex in countries where it is approved has already proven to be a barrier.

In New Zealand, an average annual prescription of Sativex costs about $16,000 (US). Professor Gavin Giovannoni of The London School of Medicine also notes that “Sativex has not been proven to be cost-effective” in the UK, which has led “a large number” of MS patients to continue using illegal forms of cannabis.

Still, companies face significant costs associated with obtaining clinical data that will satisfy health authorities. These costs often factor into the price that patients pay.

6. Sativex is not considered cannabis under federal law.

While some might think that FDA approval of Sativex would make it impossible for the U.S. government to continue defending its classification of cannabis as a Schedule I drug, it may not be that difficult after all.

As it turns out, Sativex has been given its own scientific name: nabiximols. Like other marijuana-based medicines, such as dronabinol (Marinol) and nabilone (Cesamet), this allows Sativex to be scheduled separately from cannabis.

Most countries where Sativex is sold have used this approach in order to maintain a ban on medical marijuana.

7. Sativex may be useful for more than multiple sclerosis.

While Sativex is currently approved solely for the treatment of MS-related muscle spasticity, the drug is also being trialed for a number of other conditions.

Besides the company’s cancer pain trials in the U.S., Sativex is being studied in the UK as an add-on treatment for gliomas (brain tumors). Previous studies have also suggested benefits in treating arthritis and neuropathic pain.


http://www.leafscience.com/2014/03/08/7-things-need-know-sativex/

 

[poledriver]

I wonder why it is so expensive? Here in Aus it was a ridiculous price. Im not sure if it still is.

There was a man here making tinctures from weed he grew him self and was giving away to very sick people and people were reporting that it worked very well, especially on children. Of course he was busted and arrested and spent some time in jail I believe.

 

[foolsgold]

typical bet he was grassed up by some one didn't like the fact it was being used for kids