GW Pharma Boosts Production in Expectation of FDA Approval

GW Pharmaceuticals is reportedly increasing its manufacturing capacity for medical marijuana and a specific cannabis-based drug it has developed for epileptics called Epidiolex.

The British company is boosting production in anticipation of getting the green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration next year or in early 2017 to begin widespread distribution in the United States, according to the Telegraph.

GW Pharmaceuticals has increased production 20 times already and is planning to double production levels next year, the firm’s CEO told the Telegraph. The company plans to process 200 tons of cannabis a year into 1.6 million 100-milligram bottles, enough to treat 55,000 epilepsy patients.

In the meantime, Epidiolex has been undergoing clinical trials at 16 different sites across the United States, and results found that the drug reduced seizures in 45% of patients after three months of use.

The company, which specializes in high-CBD medication, already has another cannabis-derived medicine on the market, Sativex, designed to treat multiple sclerosis.