NICE recommends cannabis-based Epidyolex to treat seizures

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of GW Pharmaceuticals’ cannabis-based medicine Epidyolex (cannabidiol) for routine treatment on the National Health Service (NHS) to treat seizures. Epidyolex is plant-derived medicine in the form of an oral solution, used as an adjunctive treatment for seizures caused by Lennox Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome in patients aged two years and above. The oral solution secured approval and marketing authorisation from the European Medicines Agency in September. However, in its draft guidance, NICE said that the drug was not cost-effective, reported BBC. The medicine costs around £5,000 to £10,000 per patient each year. The latest NICE recommendation comes as GW Pharmaceuticals has agreed on a discount price with the NHS. Studies show that the cannabidiol oral solution, in combination with other anti-epileptic therapies, significantly decreases the seizure frequency in patients with LGS and Dravet syndrome.