MGC Pharma's pioneering cannabis-based treatment
for refractory epilepsy now available to patients in the
United Kingdom
LONDON, May 31, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- MGC Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (LSE: MXC), (ASX:
MXC), (OTC: MGCLF), a leading European pharmaceutical firm
specializing in plant-derived medications, announced today that its
ground-breaking Investigational Medicinal Product (IMP), CannEpil®,
has been successfully imported and received by its first patients
in the United Kingdom.
CannEpil® is a high-CBD, low-THC formulation, delivered via an
oral mucosal solution. It is part of MGC's rigorous clinical
development programme for patients suffering from refractory
epilepsy, also known as drug-resistant epilepsy. Following a safety
study in Australia, which
confirmed CannEpil® was safe for post-treatment driving activities,
CannEpil® was distributed and prescribed in Ireland under full governmental health
insurance coverage in 2019.
The first patient to receive CannEpil® in the UK was supported
by the 'I AM Billy Foundation', an initiative led by Charlotte Caldwell, whose son Billy was the
first person to receive an NHS prescription for medical cannabis in
2018. Approximately 25,000 people in the UK are currently treated
with medical cannabis for conditions such as chronic pain,
epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease.
Besides, MGC Pharma has delivered CannEpil® to its first patient
in the UK via the Named Patient Request programme, following the
announcement on 11th April 2023. The
initiative permits clinicians listed on The General Medical Council
(GMC) specialist register to prescribe CannEpil®.
The delivery also supports the RESCAS study, a research
initiative aiming to address the substantial unmet medical need of
refractory epilepsy. MGC Pharma's proprietary ZAM app, announced on
15th March 2023, will record
patients' daily metrics, symptoms, and treatment impact, providing
a detailed record of the study and a deeper understanding of
CannEpil® effects on refractory epilepsy patients.
CannEpil® was supplied to the 'I AM Billy Foundation' through
the NHS's Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service,
the only route in the UK for patients to receive public funding for
cannabis-based treatments of refractory epilepsy.
Roby Zomer, Managing Director and
CEO of MGC Pharma, said: "Fulfilling the first UK patient's
CannEpil® treatment signifies MGC Pharma's commitment to improving
access to effective epilepsy treatment. We're proud to collaborate
with the 'I AM Billy Foundation' on this significant endeavor. We
aim to ensure patient access to high-quality, cannabis-based
medicinal products. With the first CannEpil® prescription via Named
Patient Request, we're making substantial progress towards
increasing access to effective refractory epilepsy treatment in the
UK and Ireland, with other key
territories to soon follow."
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SOURCE MGC Pharmaceuticals Ltd