Cannabidiol approved by Scottish Medicines Consortium

GW Pharmaceuticals, specialising in discovery and development of regulatory approved cannabis-based medicines, operating as a subsidiary of Dublin-based Jazz pharmaceuticals, has received confirmation that its Epidyolex® (cannabidiol) has been accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for use within NHS Scotland for adjunctive therapy of seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), for patients two years of age and older.

Scotland is the second UK nation to make Epidyolex available for routine reimbursement for all three conditions for which it is licensed, following the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group’s (AWMSG’s) recommendation in December 2021. This  therapy and its applications was also approved by the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in August 2021.

“This is an important decision by the SMC and an exciting development for patients, their families and clinicians in Scotland, giving those suffering from this difficult to treat condition access to a new treatment option,” said Chris Tovey, executive vice president, chief operating officer and managing director, Europe & International at Jazz Pharmaceuticals. “The decision to reimburse Epidyolex demonstrates that, if provided with high-quality evidence, health authorities can provide access to rigorously-tested cannabis-based medicines to patients who could benefit from them.”

Louise Fish, Chief Executive, Tuberous Sclerosis Association said: “The decision to reimburse this medicine for TSC is very welcome news for people living with TSC and their families. TSC is often a difficult to manage condition, causing epilepsy in eight out of ten people living with the condition, and up to 60% of people with TSC-related epilepsy do not respond to standard anti-seizure medication. New treatment options for TSC are desperately needed, and we are delighted that this medicine will now be available on the NHS for eligible patients in Scotland.”

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