Established in 1998, GW Pharmaceuticals has developed a portfolio of cannabinoid prescription medicines. Cannabinoids refers to a group of terpenophenolic compounds found in cannabis and to a group of secondary metabolites found in the cannabis plant.

Their lead product, the Sativex Oromucosal Spray, has already been approved and marketed in Canada and is in late stage clinical development in Europe and the US. The product is designed to relieve neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis patients as well as working as an adjunctive analgesic treatment in adult patients with advanced cancer.

Over 100 scientists attend to the company's botanical research, cultivation, extraction, formulation into drug delivery techniques, clinical trials and regulatory affairs. In 2002 they formed the Cannabinoid Research Institute, joining industry and academia together to research and indentify new medicines and gain a greater understanding of the workings of cannabinoids. GW Pharmaceuticals has also made a global cannabinoid research agreement with Otsuka under which they are looking into a range of GW cannabinoids for use in the field of CNS and oncology.

Products

Sativex is absorbed into the patient's mouth via an oral spray. Once approved in the UK, the product will be marketed by Bayer HealthCare, who holds the UK licensing agreement.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) is a novel cannabinoid product which, after Phase I trials, has shown promise for the treatment of obesity, diabetes and related metabolic disorders.

www.gwpharm.com

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