CANADA OKS CANNABIS DRUG FOR MS SUFFERERS

OTTAWA - A new cannabis-based drug has been approved to relieve nerve pain
in people with multiple sclerosis, Health Canada said Tuesday.

The drug is derived from marijuana plants.

Sativex is a metred spray, administered under the tongue or inside the
cheek. It's derived from extracts of the marijuana plant and is said to
taste like peppermint.

Canada is the first country to approve its use, although the drug company
Savitex must first do more clinical trials to confirm the effectiveness of
the drug.

GW Pharmaceuticals developed the drug, which will be marketed in Canada by
Bayer.

"Effective pain control and management are extremely important in a disease
like MS," pain expert Dr. Allan Gordon said in a release issued by the
companies.

"The approval of Sativex in Canada reflects the urgent need for additional
treatment options in the field of neuropathic pain in MS," added Gordon, a
neurologist and director of the Wasser Pain Management Centre at Toronto's
Mount Sinai Hospital.

Health Canada confirmed the approval to CBC News.

About 50,000 Canadians have MS. Half of them are estimated to suffer from
nerve pain, for which there are few treatments.

Neuropathic or nerve pain can be triggered by touch, temperature or movement.

The companies say Sativex contains tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and
cannabidiol as its main components.

The drug works by stimulating cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous
system, which in turn mediate pain.

During clinical trials, side-effects included nausea, fatigue, dizziness
and reactions at the application site. Side-effects were usually mild or
moderate in severity and eased at lower doses.