CFN Media Group, the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry, today announced publication of an article covering how cannabinoids are currently being used by physicians and how companies, such as GW Pharmaceuticals plc GWPH , are exploring new treatment options and combination therapies.
The liberalization of cannabis laws around the world has opened the door for researchers to explore the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids. While GW Pharmaceuticals GWPHÂ has already launched products targeting epilepsy and spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis, emerging research suggests that they could play a role in treating many types of cancers.
Pain & Appetite Stimulation
Cannabinoids have been primarily used by physicians to treat the side-effects of cancer. For example, cannabinoids have a well known anti-inflammatory effect that helps reduce pain, while animal studies have strongly suggested that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids can help stimulate appetite and prevent vomiting caused by certain types of chemotherapy.
Researchers have been actively studying cannabinoids to see if they could be beneficial in the treatment of cancer rather than just its side effects.
Last month, GW Pharmaceuticals GWPH , along with its U.S. subsidiary Greenwich Biosciences, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved EPIDIOLEX® (cannabidiol) oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) or Dravet syndrome in patients two years of age or older. EPIDIOLEX is the first prescription pharmaceutical formulation of highly-purified, plant-derived cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabinoid lacking the high associated with marijuana, and the first in a new category of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). Product availability is pending rescheduling which is expected to occur within 90 days.
“The approval of EPIDIOLEX is a historic milestone, offering patients and their families the first and only FDA-approved CBD medicine to treat two severe, childhood-onset epilepsies,” said Justin Gover, GW’s Chief Executive Officer. “This approval is the culmination of GW’s many years of partnership with patients, their families, and physicians in the epilepsy community to develop a much needed, novel medicine. These patients deserve and will soon have access to a cannabinoid medicine that has been thoroughly studied in clinical trials, manufactured to assure quality and consistency, and available by prescription under a physician’s care.â€
A market report by Arcview Market Research, in partnership with BDS Analytics, predicts that adult-use cannabis spending will account for USD 38.3 Billion, while medical spending will reach USD 19.1 Billion. North America will remain the largest in terms of spending volume, growing from USD 9.2 Billion in 2017 to USD 47.3 Billion in 2027, but due to the market’s massive size, the growth rates will remain relatively low at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18%. The largest growth is expected to occur within the Rest of World (RoW) markets, where spending on cannabis products is forecast to grow from USD 52 Million in 2017 to USD 2.5 Billion in 2027, and at a CAGR of 47%.
This article has been provided by a Chasing Markets contributor. All content submitted by this author represent their personal opinions, and should be considered as such for entertainment purpose only. All opinions expressed are those of the writer, and may not necessarily represent fact, opinions, or bias of Chasing Markets.