Cannabis-based drug Epidiolex administered in severely epileptic children; Results promising

NSW medicinal cannabis trials for children with severe epilepsy are showing “promising” early signs. They have started taking an experimental cannabis-based drug under the supervision of the NSW government.

According to News.com.au, a group of 40 children have been considered for Epidiolex doses at the Sydney and Westmead children's hospitals after all conventional treatment methods failed to provide them relief.

The trials are a part of the NSW government’s $21 million commitment that will explore therapeutic use of medical marijuana. Epidiolex, a liquid form of pure cannabidiol, has been developed by GW Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Kerry Chant, NSW’s chief health officer, said that the Compassionate Access Scheme is an important first step to treat some of the state’s most-ill children with the effective drug. However, doctors have warned that the medicinal cannabis drug is not a miracle cure.

About 20 severely epileptic children have so far been administered the doses and the results are promising. The other 20 will be provided with the drug in the coming weeks. Most of the children suffer hundreds of seizures a day.

“One mother has reported in saying that it's like a fog has lifted from her child, with a significant decrease in the number of seizures she's having. For the first time in years she has had her first three or four seizure-free days and on those other days is seeing half the number of seizures she was having before, so that's a big change for them,” Sydney Children's Hospital neurologist Dr John Lawson told the ABC.

Another mum reported that her child, after taking the drug, has for the first time started communicating and clapping her hands. She is also doing a lot of other things she never did before. However, in some cases, the children have not shown any such benefits.

The success of the treatment will be assessed after three months as many a time it is seen that a drug brings changes during the early days and then stop showing benefits after sometime.