America's FDA approves first cannabis-based drug

June 26, 2018 00:04

The US Food and Drug Administration approved a cannabis-based drug for the first time, the agency said.

Epidiolex was recommended for approval by an advisory committee in April, and the agency had until this week to make a decision.

The twice-daily oral solution is approved for use in patients 2 and older to treat two types of epileptic syndromes: Dravet syndrome, a rare genetic dysfunction of the brain that begins in the first year of life, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a form of epilepsy with multiple types of seizures that begin in early childhood, usually between 3 and 5.

"This is an important medical advance," FDA Commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb said in a statement. "Because of the adequate and well-controlled clinical studies that supported this approval, prescribers can have confidence in the drug's uniform strength and consistent delivery."

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