Marijuana-extract spray to treat severe cancer pain Sativex in markets

The first spray dug derived from marijuana or cannabis has been successfully reached market to relieve severe pain conditions associated with diseases like cancer.

The new drug branded Sativex comes in the form of a spray, which the patient can spray under their tongue to relieve pain.

UK-based bio-technology firm GW Pharmaceuticals launched the first prescription medicine derived from cannabis Monday, following regulatory approval late last week.

Sativex can be used by patients who suffer from severe pain originating from muscle spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis, cancer pain and neuropathic pain.

Unlike, crude form of marijuana which has a variety of effects that are often unpredictable, Sativex is a specifically formulated product designed to tackle very particular symptoms,according G W Pharmaceuticals, which has developed the drug.

“In the same way that crude opium poppies are not a seen as a substitute for prescription drugs such as morphine, we don’t think crude herbal cannabis or marijuana is a substitute for a prescription medicine such as Sativex,” G W Pharma officials stated.

Sativex, which claims to be the first cannabinoid medicine derived from whole plant extracts from the cannabis sativa plant contains two cannabinoids or active ingredients – THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol).

Sativex, available as a prescription only medicine is a new treatment option which has been shown to improve pain conditions where current treatments have failed.

Sativex is manufactured by GW under Home Office licence at an undisclosed location in the UK. The medicine is being marketed in the UK by GW’s UK licensee, Bayer Schering Pharma.

The approval and launch of Sativex in the UK is the world’s first full approval of a cannabis-derived prescription medicine and the product of eleven year’s research by GW into the cannabinoid system, according to
Dr Geoffrey Guy, GW’s chairman.

GW is currently in the process of developing marijuana extract-derived medicines  across a range of therapeutic areas.

Under the terms of the agreement with Bayer, GW will receive a £10m milestone payment in respect of the UK approval of Sativex.

Outside the UK, Sativex is expected to be approved in Spain shortly. Further submissions will be made in additional European countries during the second half of 2010 under the mutual recognition procedure. Almirall S.A. will market Sativex in Europe (ex-UK).

GW is also looking to launch the product in the US as a treatment for cancer pain. The company is about to enter Phase III trials in cancer pain and will apply for Food and Drug Administration approval after these trials are completed.