GW Pharmaceuticals plc announces positive results of the Phase 3 clinical trial of its investigational medicine Epidiolex® for the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
London, UK; 27 June 2016: GW Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: GWPH, AIM: “GWP,” “GW,” “the Company” or “the Group”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel therapeutics from its proprietary cannabinoid product platform, announces positive results of the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial of its investigational medicine Epidiolex® (cannabidiol or CBD) for the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), a rare and severe form of childhood-onset epilepsy. In this trial, Epidiolex, when added as an adjunct to the patient’s current treatment, achieved the primary endpoint of a significant reduction in the monthly frequency of drop seizures assessed over the entire 14-week treatment period compared with placebo (p=0.0135). This trial follows the announcement in March 2016 of positive results in a pivotal Phase 3 trial of Epidiolex for the treatment of Dravet syndrome. Epidiolex has Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of LGS and Dravet syndrome.
“From a physician’s perspective, the positive outcome in this trial of Epidiolex in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is very exciting. Lennox-Gastaut syndrome begins in early childhood, is particularly difficult to treat, and the vast majority of patients do not obtain an adequate response from existing therapies,” stated Linda Laux, MD, Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and assistant professor of pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and an investigator in the trial. “These data show that Epidiolex has the potential to provide a robust and clinically meaningful reduction in seizures in this highly treatment-resistant population together with an acceptable safety and tolerability profile, which is consistent with my previous clinical experience with Epidiolex. I am excited about the prospect of Epidiolex being made available on prescription in the future and believe it has the potential to make an important difference to the lives of many patients.”“We are delighted to announce positive results in this Phase 3 trial of Epidiolex in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and particularly pleased that this result is consistent with our recent Phase 3 pivotal data for Epidiolex in Dravet syndrome. We believe that this result further demonstrates that Epidiolex offers the potential to be a new effective therapy within the field of treatment-resistant childhood-onset epilepsies,” stated Justin Gover, GW’s Chief Executive Officer. “We now look forward to advancing Epidiolex towards the submission of an NDA with the FDA in the first half of 2017.”“Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is such a difficult form of epilepsy to treat. Additional safe and effective treatments are desperately needed for patients who continue to struggle with uncontrolled seizures,” said Christina SanInocencio, Executive Director of the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Foundation. “We are thrilled with these positive results, which offer much needed hope and promise to those living with this debilitating condition."About Epidiolex
Epidiolex, GW’s lead cannabinoid product candidate, is a liquid formulation of pure plant-derived CBD, which is in development for the treatment of a number of rare pediatric epilepsy disorders. GW has conducted extensive pre-clinical research of CBD in epilepsy since 2007. This research has shown that CBD has significant anti-epileptiform and anticonvulsant activity using a variety of in vitro and in vivo models and has the ability to treat seizures in acute animal models of epilepsy with significantly fewer side effects than existing anti-epileptic drugs. To date, GW has received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Epidiolex in the treatment of Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and TSC. Additionally, GW has received Fast Track Designation from the FDA and Orphan Designation from the European Medicines Agency for Epidiolex for the treatment of Dravet syndrome. GW is currently evaluating additional clinical development programs in other orphan seizure disorders.About GW Pharmaceuticals plcFounded in 1998, GW is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel therapeutics from its proprietary cannabinoid product platform in a broad range of disease areas. GW commercialized the world’s first plant-derived cannabinoid prescription drug, Sativex®, which is approved for the treatment of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis in 28 countries outside the United States. GW is advancing an orphan drug program in the field of childhood epilepsy with a focus on Epidiolex® (cannabidiol), which is in Phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. GW has a deep pipeline of additional cannabinoid product candidates which includes compounds in Phase 1 and 2 trials for glioma, type 2 diabetes, schizophrenia and epilepsy. For further information, please visit www.gwpharm.com.Source: http://www.gwpharm.com/
