Dive Brief:
- GW Pharma's Epidiolex is an oral drug made from cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive part of the marijuana plant.
- In an open-label study of patients with severe, treatment-resistant epilepsy, Epidiolex reduced the number of seizures by an average of 54%, FierceBiotech reports.
- The study included a total of 213 people, ranging from toddlers to adults. The adverse event rate was tolerable for the most part, with only 6% of patients dropping out because of adverse events.
Dive Insight:
GW's proprietary cannabinoid development platform has been the basis for successful pipeline development so far. The most recent study results included very positive data on a subset of patients with Dravet syndrome, who had a 53% decrease in seizures during the 12-week study, as well as patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, who had a 55% decrease in seizures during the trial.
Currently, GW is planning phase III trials for both disorders, and is also enjoying the benefits of being enrolled in the FDA's fast-track program. In addition, GW has partnered with Sativex to distribute its EU-approved drug for the treatment of muscle spasms in patients with multiple sclerosis.