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Epidiolex, the first marijuana drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has officially become available for sale in all 50 states on Thursday. Cannabis-derived drugs got the green light in June.
Made by GW Pharmaceuticals, based in the UK, cannabis is derived from a plant that has been grown to have a high content of cannabidiol, or CBD. It does not contain tetrahydrocannibinol, the THC part of the weed that raises people.
Epidiolex can be prescribed to treat and reduce seizures associated with two rare types of epileptic syndromes, Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet. These are most often seen in children as early as 3 to 5 years of age, and the drug was developed after other treatments were not effective for all patients . Most patients with these conditions have daily seizures and sometimes have multiple seizures every day. Epidiolex will be available by prescription for children aged 2 years and older with the goal of limiting the long-term effects of these epileptic disorders, which can cause intellectual and developmental disabilities in children with one or the other. other of these conditions, as well as in the death of it.
The FDA has already approved synthetic cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals. GW Pharmaceuticals also manufactures another cannabis-derived drug, Sativex, which contains both CBD and THC, and is marketed to treat spasticity (ie, muscle stiffness and spasms). associated with multiple sclerosis.
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