First Cannabis-Derived Drug Approved By FDA For Medical Use
On Monday the agency approved its first marijuana-derived drug, Epidiolex, for the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, two rare forms of pediatric epilepsy.
The oral solution contains cannabidiol, or CBD, a nonpsychoactive compound that has proved beneficial in reducing the catastrophic, potentially life-threatening seizures that accompany both conditions.
In clinical trials, children with Dravet syndrome who took Epidiolex experienced 39 percent fewer seizures; those with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome saw a 37 percent decrease.
In a statement accompanying Monday’s approval announcement, the FDA hastened to note that it’s not signing off on the safety or medical utility of marijuana in general ― just this one compound and only for this limited use.
