Cannabis-based MS treatment 'is a step closer to approval'

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) should soon have access to the world's first cannabis-based prescription drug, the manufacturers claim.

Regulators have announced that oral spray Sativex has "no major quality, safety or efficacy issues still to be resolved", according to makers GW Pharmaceuticals.

With this key stage completed, full approval is expected within months.

Sativex is directly derived from marijuana grown at secret locations across the UK and is designed to treat spasticity in MS.

The spray acts on the same part of the brain that responds to cannabis, protecting from damage to nerve cells and repairing those that have already been harmed.

Dr Stephen Wright, GW's research and development director, said: "This is a major milestone in the regulatory process for Sativex and for GW's future prospects."

Approval of the drug would be "validation" of GW's range of cannabinoid-based medicines, Dr Wright added.

MS is the most common disabling neurological condition in young adults, according to the MS Society, with 100,000 people in the UK living with the condition.

Read about Barchester expertise in offering multiple sclerosis support.