Capricorn Laboratory News

Sativex® is an under-tongue pain relieving cannabis spray that meets the medical needs of sufferers of the severe muscle spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) created by GW Pharmaceuticals plc has now been made available as a prescription medicine in the UK.

However, this does not mean that all those that suffer MS will be able to get the drug on the NHS, Sativex® would cost the NHS £125 per 10 ml vial which would last the average patient around 11 days, so £11 per day for Sativex®.

There have already been problems in Oxfordshire, where the priorities committee for the South Central NHS region decided Sativex® was a low priority for funding, meaning only exceptional circumstances will lead to the spray being given by the NHS.

Now that Sativex® has been made available on prescription, many of the MS sufferers that the drug was developed for will be able to enjoy its pain free benefits, plus up to 40% decrease in spasms and sleep disturbances.

However, Sativex® didn’t get a licence overnight, it took years of medical research and sample testing and clinical trials to get Sativex® ready for prescription use.
Capricorn Labs supplies GW Pharmaceuticals plc with laboratory equipment, possibly some that was used in the Sativex® trials. Sample preparation and testing is very important throughout any clinical trials period as reliable and accurate data results are essential for medical research.

Research has shown that between 60% and 80% of work activity and operating cost is spent on sample preparation for introduction to an analytical device such as a centrifuge. It is not surprising sample preparation is such a time consuming factor in research as any contaminants or interfering elements could significantly damage and be very detrimental to the results of any research being carried out.