The European Union (EU) has approved the use of Epidyolex, a medicinal cannabis product for patients with two rare forms of childhood epilepsy.
Epidyolex, a medicinal cannabis developed by GW Pharmaceuticals, has received approval from the EU as a treatment option for children as young as two years old with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome, rare but difficult to treat types of childhood epilepsy that can cause multiple seizures a day. It will be taken in combination with clobazam, another epilepsy medication.
While the medicinal cannabis product has received approval for use in the United Kingdom (UK) and other European countries, it has not received recommendation form the National Health Service (NHS). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also decided initially to not recommend Epidyolex due to lack of evidence of long-term effectiveness.
Despite the approval, some parents do not think that the product will help their children because it does not contain a compound called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psycho-active component of cannabis. According to these parents, who have traveled to the Netherlands to purchase cannabis medicines, THC has helped their children.
Ley Sander, Medical Director at the Epilepsy Society and Professor of Neurology at University College London, said  "This new drug will bring hope for some families and EU approval feels like a positive step. Medicinal cannabis, however, still remains a medical minefield and there are many hurdles ahead. CBD was not recommended by NICE for prescription on the NHS. It is important that the pharmaceutical industry continues to work with the medical advisory body to ensure that drugs are cost effective and that its long-term effects are clear."
Other medical cannabis approved in the UK include Nabilone, which can be prescribed to people undergoing chemotherapy to help with nausea, and Sativex, which is used for people with multiple sclerosis.
