Marijuana will now be used in medicines. The first cannabis-based epilepsy treatment for children has been approved by the US drug regulator. The drug uses cannabidiol which does not produce a high and can be used for children as young as two years old.
The drug called Epidiolex, will be used to treat seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) or Dravet syndrome in patients. These syndromes are treatment- resistant, serious forms of epilepsy that develop in childhood. The day-to-day impact of these conditions is significant with high rates of early mortality.
For 70% of patients with epilepsy, drugs can control seizures but can’t cure epilepsy. Some of the common side effects of present day epilepsy drugs are dizziness, nausea, headache, vomiting , fatigue, vertigo, ataxia, blurred vision, and tremor.
ALSO READ: Google Chrome now has automatic download feature
US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb said “This is an important medical advance. But it’s also important to note that this is not an approval of marijuana or all of its components.This is the approval of one specific CBD medication for a specific use. And it was based on well-controlled clinical trials evaluating the use of this compound in the treatment of a specific condition.”
Click here for Latest News updates and viral videos on our AI-powered smart news genie