GW Pharma cannabis drug succeeds in epilepsy trial, shares leap
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
An experimental cannabis-based drug has successfully treated children with a rare form of severe epilepsy in a keenly anticipated clinical trial, sending shares in its maker GW Pharmaceuticals 25 percent higher on Monday.
The study of GW's Epidiolex in Dravet syndrome is the first of four final-stage Phase III epilepsy trials that the drugmaker hopes will confirm the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids, the active ingredients found in marijuana.
GW said the a 120-patient trial showed patients taking Epidiolex achieved a median reduction in monthly convulsive seizures of 39 percent compared with a reduction on placebo of 13 percent, which was highly statistically significant.
Source : reuters.com
