UK Study Finds Cannabis Products Ease Severe Pain

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Health - Reuters

UK Study Finds Cannabis Products Ease Severe Pain

Tue Oct 1, 1:48 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - The only company licensed to develop cannabis-based

medicines in the UK reported Monday that a study showed patients suffering

from severe pain benefit from its products.

The study by GW Pharmaceuticals Plc examined 34 patients with severe pain

resulting from multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and other conditions,

who could not be fully treated with currently available medications.

Of the 34 patients, 28 chose to continue on a long-term trial, while the

remaining six patients did not benefit from the medication.

" Patients in this trial are suffering from severe pain--it dominates their

lives, " Geoffrey Guy, executive chairman of GW, said in a statement. " Many

of those with chronic pain also suffer from a poor quality of sleep,

which--over time--can have profoundly negative effects on them and their

families. "

The firm, which hopes to launch its first cannabis-based medicine in early

2004, had nine final-stage clinical trials under way in June, involving

about 650 patients.