Two cannabis-based medicines approved by NHS

Two cannabis-based medicines for patients with severe epilepsy or multiple sclerosis have been approved for use by the NHS.

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued guidelines recommending that the two medicines receive reimbursement by NHS England.

In view this, doctors will be allowed to prescribe Epidyolex for patients over two years old suffering from severe forms of treatment-resistant epilepsy. The medicine is used to treat severe seizures for people with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome – rare forms of epilepsy.

Charities welcomed the move, but said thousands of other people with a range of conditions who could benefit from cannabis-based medicines were left in limbo.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has ruled out prescribing drugs containing THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) – the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis – to treat chronic pain.

It also said more research was needed on cannabis-based medicines to treat forms of epilepsy other than Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet.

Via Euronews / Sky News 

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