The US FDA approved the first ever cannabis-based drug for the treatment of epilepsy. This approval is granted for use in patients aged 2 years and older with Dravet Syndrome (DS) and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) which is a rare form of epilepsy and most resistant to treatment. This approved drug is made up of cannabidiol which is a molecule found in marijuana plant . This plant contains less than 0.1% of tetrahydrocannabinol which is a psychoactive component. Tetrahydrocannabinol can induce hallucinations, anxiety and paranoia but cannabidiol is proved to have opposite effect and has thus been used as a potential treatment for mental health issues.
These 2 forms of epilepsy i.e. LGS and DS have a high rate of mortality. This drug is the first approved therapy for DS for which currently a combination of seizure medication and drugs to prevent emergencies is used. Based on the potential…
