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mercoledì 16 novembre 2005 - ore 14:28
(categoria: " Vita Quotidiana ")
Last Updated: Tuesday, 15 November 2005, 11:33 GMT
Cannabis drug available in the UK
The drug is based on cannabis
Multiple sclerosis patients in the UK are to be able to get a cannabis-based pain-relief drug from their doctor for the first time, it has been announcedSativex has already been licensed for use in Canada to relieve pain in people with MS. The Home Office has now said the drug can be imported to the UK for individual patients use. MS charities welcomed the development as a step towards the drug being fully licensed for use on the NHS.Eighty-five thousand people in the UK have MS. It is not yet certain how many of them would benefit from Sativex.
The drug is a mouth spray containing two chemicals found in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol.
The announcement is believed to be in response to enquiries to the Home Office from doctors and patients about access to the drug.
Quality of life
Under the new arrangements, the prescription of Sativex would only be permitted under Home Office licence.
A doctor would have to take responsibility for the prescription of the unlicensed drug, which would have to be imported from Canada for that particular patient
Primary care trusts could decide to fund the treatment on the NHS. Otherwise, the drug would cost patients approximately £4 a day.
The government has asked a watchdog, the Commission on Human Medicines, to monitor the safety of Sativex.
Mike ODonovan, chief executive of the MS Society said the prescription of the drug was: "a move in the right direction".
He added: "We believe there is now good evidence that cannabis-derived medicine can relieve distressing symptoms like spasticity [stiffness and muscle spasms] and pain in MS.
"Many people do not find available treatments effective and will now have the opportunity to try a new drug which could significantly improve their quality of life.
"We very much hope it will not be long before it is licensed for NHS prescription."
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