antiquity
06-13-2002, 10:20 AM
Cannabis firm GW Pharma moves on to heroin
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - GW Pharmaceuticals Plc, which holds the sole UK licence to develop cannabis-based medicines, said on Thursday it was working on a revolutionary methadone dispenser for heroin addicts.
The company's tamper-proof oral spray device will be tested by the National Addiction Centre at King's College, London and could be in addiction centres across the country within three years.
The Advanced Dispensing System (ADS), initially developed for GW's cannabis prescription drugs, offers a secure method of dispensing heroin substitutes without the need for labour-intensive medical supervision.
Patients will need to enter a personalised code before being able to use the device, which contains a chip to regulate dosing. Further out, there are also plans to supply diamorphine, or heroin, by inhaler as a safe alternative to injections.
Professor John Strang, director of the National Addiction Centre, said the new dispensing system would offer a realistic alternative to black market drugs.
"We are looking for a major increase in safety and effectiveness of treatment alongside a dramatic increase in the number of patients being treated, without any increase in the cost per patient," he said.
GW Executive Chairman Geoffrey Guy believes the market opportunity is considerable, since there are 200-250,000 heroin addicts in Britain alone, of whom just 30,000 are on methadone.
"In the next few years the market could be of equal size (to cannabis-based medicines) or possibly larger...our aim is to double the number of people treated with methadone up to 60,000 within the next 36 months," he told Reuters.
The government currently spends 230 million pounds ($338 million) on treatment services for drug misusers, including counselling and support.
NEW CANNABIS TRIALS
GW, which reported an loss in line with budget of 5.3 million pounds in the six months to March 31 from 2.0 million a year ago, also said it had launched two more Phase III clinical trials for its cannabis products in the treatment of multiple sclerosis symptoms.
The firm, which hopes to launch its first cannabis-based medicine in early 2004, now has nine final-stage clinical trials under way, involving some 650 patients.
Guy said the first indication for the prescription drug, which is sprayed under the tongue, was likely to be in controlling pain in multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury.
Industry analysts believe worldwide sales could run into hundreds of millions of pounds. That is big enough to attract the interest of major pharmaceutical companies and Guy said he was holding talks with a number of firms about a licensing deal.
British regulators are expected to consider whether to allow the use of GW's cannabis-based medicines during 2003, and Guy believes Europe and Canada will follow any green light from Britain within six to nine months. The United States, however, is expected to be at least two years behind.
GW shares, which floated a year ago at 182 pence, were one penny firmer at 112p in morning trade.
06/13/02 05:15 ET
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - GW Pharmaceuticals Plc, which holds the sole UK licence to develop cannabis-based medicines, said on Thursday it was working on a revolutionary methadone dispenser for heroin addicts.
The company's tamper-proof oral spray device will be tested by the National Addiction Centre at King's College, London and could be in addiction centres across the country within three years.
The Advanced Dispensing System (ADS), initially developed for GW's cannabis prescription drugs, offers a secure method of dispensing heroin substitutes without the need for labour-intensive medical supervision.
Patients will need to enter a personalised code before being able to use the device, which contains a chip to regulate dosing. Further out, there are also plans to supply diamorphine, or heroin, by inhaler as a safe alternative to injections.
Professor John Strang, director of the National Addiction Centre, said the new dispensing system would offer a realistic alternative to black market drugs.
"We are looking for a major increase in safety and effectiveness of treatment alongside a dramatic increase in the number of patients being treated, without any increase in the cost per patient," he said.
GW Executive Chairman Geoffrey Guy believes the market opportunity is considerable, since there are 200-250,000 heroin addicts in Britain alone, of whom just 30,000 are on methadone.
"In the next few years the market could be of equal size (to cannabis-based medicines) or possibly larger...our aim is to double the number of people treated with methadone up to 60,000 within the next 36 months," he told Reuters.
The government currently spends 230 million pounds ($338 million) on treatment services for drug misusers, including counselling and support.
NEW CANNABIS TRIALS
GW, which reported an loss in line with budget of 5.3 million pounds in the six months to March 31 from 2.0 million a year ago, also said it had launched two more Phase III clinical trials for its cannabis products in the treatment of multiple sclerosis symptoms.
The firm, which hopes to launch its first cannabis-based medicine in early 2004, now has nine final-stage clinical trials under way, involving some 650 patients.
Guy said the first indication for the prescription drug, which is sprayed under the tongue, was likely to be in controlling pain in multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury.
Industry analysts believe worldwide sales could run into hundreds of millions of pounds. That is big enough to attract the interest of major pharmaceutical companies and Guy said he was holding talks with a number of firms about a licensing deal.
British regulators are expected to consider whether to allow the use of GW's cannabis-based medicines during 2003, and Guy believes Europe and Canada will follow any green light from Britain within six to nine months. The United States, however, is expected to be at least two years behind.
GW shares, which floated a year ago at 182 pence, were one penny firmer at 112p in morning trade.
06/13/02 05:15 ET