GW Pharmaceuticals Founder Reveals Other Areas of Research.

Further areas of research of GW Pharmaceuticals revealed

UK: Further indications to be investigated by GW Pharmaceuticals

In an interview Geoffrey W. Guy, founder of GW Pharmaceuticals (1998), talked about further illnesses and symptoms, against which cannabis shall be tested by GW in future clinical trials.

GW is using three extracts, a high THC, a high CBD and a 50-50 mix extract. The company has about 130 employees and is producing about 5-6 tons of dried, herbal cannabis at present. It intends to produce about 10 tons within the next year. The clinical studies so far were focused on pain patients and patients with neurological disorder (multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury).

"There will be another wave of studies. We are particularly interested in the effects of cannabinoids in response to inflammation. …

We have a phase II study in rheumatoid arthritis running at the moment. The beneficial effects of CBD are very clearly seen in our arthritis program. …

We are moving on into inflammatory bowel, where what we know about antispasmodic effects will be applicable. …

We are interested in malnutrition issues. Senile anorexia. Issues of air hunger (sleep apnea, for example). I'd like to move on to epilepsy fairly soon; that's the one area where I wish we'd made more progress. …

We're working with a group in Brazil to look at schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

We've just completed a small trial on glaucoma. Our interest in glaucoma is not strictly to drop the pressure.

We're looking at the neuroprotective effects on the retina."

(Source: Anderson Valley Advertiser of 16 July 2003)

Recent short Cannabis News:

***Spain: Expert group of the government on cannabis The Spanish federal government intends to set up an expert group that will explore the adoption of measures, that could include "a legislative modification", "to persecute" those who "send the message", that cannabis is harmless and beneficial. Doctors and others who talk about the benefits of cannabis are accused by the government to be responsible for an increase of young cannabis users. In an interview for El Mundo Dr. Ricardo Navarrete of the health centre San Andrés-Torcal in Malaga said that these proposals seem to "paranoid" and that "the increased use by young people has nothing to do with medical use". (Source: El Mundo of 23 July 2003)

***Science: Neuroprotection and multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis is regarded as a neurodegenerative disease that is caused by inflammation of the central nervous system. New research shows that mice, which do not possess cannabinoid-1 receptors, do much less tolerate inflammatory insults than normal mice, and that they develop substantial neurodegeneration following immune attack in an animal model of multiple sclerosis, the so-called experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). Authors conclude that "in addition to symptom management, cannabis may also slow the neurodegenerative processes that ultimately lead to chronic disability in multiple sclerosis and probably other diseases." Contact to Dr. David Baker of the research group: D.Baker@ion.ucl.ac.uk. (Source: Pryce G, et al. Brain. 2003 Jul 22 [Electronic publication ahead of print].

***Science: Inflammation and neuroprotection Cannabinoids inhibit inflammation, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Earlier research has shown that cannabinoids inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). This new research shows that both CB1 and CB2 receptors modulate the release of a body's own (endogneous) blocker of IL-1, the so-called interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). The IL-1ra is an important anti-inflammatory cytokine that blocks all known actions of IL-1. Authors conclude that their data "suggest a novel neuroprotective mechanism of action for cannabinoids in response to inflammatory or excitotoxic insults." Contact to Dr. Nancy Rothwell of the research group: nancy.rothwell@man.ac.uk. (Source: Molina-Holgado F, et al. J Neurosci. 2003 Jul 23;23(16):6470-4)

*Industrial-Hemp has no psychoactive properties following definition of the European Economic Community (EEC); THC content is less than 0.3%. In general, low THC-seed varieties without psychoactive properties are those that have a THC content of less than 1%. (See also No-THC Hemp-seed.) THC= Delta-9 TetraHydroCannabinol.