GW AWAITS APPROVAL FOR CANNABIS-BASED PAINKILLER

A new cannabis-based drug for multiple sclerosis could be available on
prescription by the end of the year, drug company GW Pharmaceuticals said
yesterday.

GW said the drug, Sativex, had been submitted to regulatory authorities for
approval after successful tests on 350 patients.

The firm, which released its interim results yesterday, was given a licence
in 1998 to grow 40,000 cannabis plants a year for research. GW said it was
not "simply taking the plants and cutting them up" but was turning them
into pharmaceuticals in order to provide legal pain relief.

Its report said THC, the main cannabis intoxicant, is an ingredient of
Sativex but not in sufficient quantity to make patients "high". Although
cannabis is a class C drug, the government will make changes to the law to
allow the distribution of Sativex, assuming it is passed by regulators.

GW thinks adapted Sativex could also provide relief for cancer patients and
has begun testing on patients with stroke or psychological disorders. GW
has teamed up with German rival Bayer to market the drug. Its interim
results showed a net loss of £6.7m over the last six months.