Celadon Pharmaceuticals launches innovative medical cannabis trial in the UK

In 2018, the United Kingdom legalizes medical cannabis. Despite this milestone, the road to accessibility has been fraught with difficulties. Various reports have highlighted the shortcomings of the UK's medical cannabis program, revealing a lack of clinical studies, limited availability through the National Health Service (NHS) and a cautious stance, or even lack of training, among healthcare professionals.

Private initiative for British patients

In response to this lack of government initiative, Celadon Pharmaceuticals, the UK company that supplies private clinics legally authorized to prescribe cannabis, has launched a clinical trial on 5,000 chronic pain patients. The trial is not only the first of its kind in the UK, but also aims to generate a comprehensive body of data to support the prescription of cannabis-based medicines, which will could lead to their reimbursement by the NHS and insurance companies.

The approval follows a preliminary study involving 500 patients, which showed that cannabis reduced the need for opioid painkillers and improved sleep.

Last summer, both the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the NHS Research Ethics Committee approved Celadon's larger clinical trial. .

«This clinical trial is believed to be the only one of its kind in the UK and is designed to create a body of evidence that will support doctors» prescribing of cannabis-based medicines and, ultimately, enable potential reimbursement by the NHS and insurance companies," the company wrote in a press release this summer.

«It also enables GPs to prescribe the drug to patients, in addition to specialist doctors, and organizations such as charities to advertise recruitment for the trial. Celadon believes this is a major breakthrough enabling much wider access to patients, which will ultimately lead to the opening up of the UK market for cannabis-based medicines.».

Access to medical cannabis remains complicated

The NHS remains central to the current debate on the accessibility of medical cannabis. The 2018 law change, preceding clear clinical evidence, has resulted in what NHS consultant Dr. Alan Fayaz calls a «bizarre two-tier system» with Sky News. This system puts both NHS and private sector patients at a disadvantage, as evidenced by the financial pressure faced by some people. who pay a substantial monthly fee for medical cannabis treatment.

Faced with the difficulty of accessing medical cannabis, many activists, particularly parents defending their children's right to medical cannabis, have played an essential role. Hannah Deacon, Emma Appleby and Karen Gray have campaigned for wider acceptance and improved quality of life for patients. However, despite convincing evidence of the positive impact of medical cannabis, British doctors, including Dr. Alan Fayaz, remain cautious, citing the skepticism that persists with opioid drugs in the wake of the opioid epidemic.