For the first time, Britons suffering from a rare seizure disorder will be able to obtain cannabis-based medicine through the NHS.
From this week, doctors in NHS England will be able to prescribe Epidyolex to patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) (January 31).
Around 1,000 patients could benefit from the “life-changing” treatment, according to campaigners.
Every year, 6,000 people are affected by a rare genetic condition that causes non-cancerous tumours to develop in various parts of the body, resulting in health problems ranging from epilepsy to learning difficulties.
In 2018, a law change made it legal for doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis.
Epidyolex has since been approved for NHS use to treat five different conditions, including multiple sclerosis, severe epilepsies known as Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, and nausea caused by chemotherapy in adults.