CANNABIS TRIALS FOR CANCER PATIENTS

CANCER patients suffering intractable pain are to be included in trials of
a new range of cannabis-based medicines, a British company licensed to test
the drug on humans has said.

GW Pharmaceuticals said yesterday more than 100 patients with terminal
cancer would take part in the study at more than 20 UK centres.

Treatments based on a key cannabis component are already being given to
patients with multiple sclerosis as part of a phase three trials programme.
Preliminary results from phase two MS and spinal cord injury trials have
shown significant improvements in a range of symptoms.

Phase three trials are the final stage in preparing for a medicinal product
to be approved by the Medicines Control Agency.

The company has also embarked on a new trial involving patients with
brachial plexus injury, a severe form of nerve-damage pain which often
results from motorcycle accidents.

Geoffrey Guy, executive chairman of GW, said: "This is a significant
milestone for GW, and, we hope, for sufferers from cancer pain.
Cannabis-based medicine has the potential to provide considerable
advantages over current medications to cancer patients. The potential
market is very significant since approximately 40% of cancer sufferers at
present have unmet needs in pain suppression."

Roger Pertwee, professor of pharmacology at Aberdeen University and an
expert on the possible therapeutic uses of the banned drug, said: "There
have been one or two previous studies which yielded positive results,
showing that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) reduces cancer pain.

"One of the problems in those tests was giving it orally, and GW may have a
better delivery system. As far as the types of cancer is concerned, the
evidence suggests it would act where inflammatory pain or nerve damage is
involved."

Ian Gibson, director for Scotland of Macmillan Cancer Relief, which
provides nursing and other services to sufferers, said: "From a Macmillan
perspective we would not support the use of illegal substances, but if
scientific trials show it was more effective than other forms of treatment
then we would support legalisation for medicinal purposes."

Salisbury-based GW, which floated on the London Stock Exchange in June, is
the only company to legally develop and produce cannabis-derived drugs.

Dr Guy said: "We remain confident of being able to present data to the UK
regulatory authorities in 2003, and, subject to approval, bring the first
cannabis-based prescription medicine to market in early 2004."

Yesterday, GW posted an increase in losses for the year to September 30 -
from UKP 2.3m to UKP 7.2m - after a hike in research and development costs
and increased administrative charges.

Last October, David Blunkett, the home secretary, said he would recommend
that the MCA authorise medicinal use of cannabis should the trials prove
successful.