By Javier Hasse
Cannabis-based drug Sativyl has been approved as a treatment for cancer-related pain in Peru.
Sativyl, produced by Verdemed, was created to be as similar as possible to Sativex, produced by Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC’s GW Pharmaceuticals and is recommended for the relief of cancer symptoms and spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Among other uses, Sativyl is indicated to relieve strong pain. The medication is considered an efficient, non-addictive substitute for opioids, like morphine or oxycodone.
In the United States, opioids are considered a public health issue. The CDC recorded a 28.5% increase in deaths caused by opioid overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021. For the first time ever, the country surpassed the mark of 100,000 drug-related deaths over a year-long period.
An Alternative To Classic Antiemetics
Sativyl also works to control nausea caused by chemotherapy treatment. The antiemetic performance of the medication improves the patient’s appetite and, consequently, their physical condition to face the therapy.
Sativyl contains a 27 mg/ml concentration of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and 25 mg/ml of CBD. It’s sold by the flask and contains 10 ml and 250 mg of concentration.
RELATED: Breast Cancer Patients Are Using Cannabis, But Many Are Lacking This Important Step
The medicine itself is produced in Canada by the pharmaceutical company Verdemed, in partnership with the Toronto Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology.
“In January of next year, we’ll have Sativyl on the Peruvian market,” says José Bacellar, the company’s CEO. “We believe it will cost a third of Mevatyl [the Brazilian version of Sativex], coming up to a mere R$500 [$89.60].”
RELATED: Cancer Patients Say Cannabis Is Just As Effective Or Better Than Cancer Treatments
The Peruvian health license was approved less than one month after Verdemed received the Brazilian Sanitary Agency (ANVISA) approval to distribute full spectrum 50 mg/ml CBD, a medicine developed in partnership with the American-Colombian company Clever Leaves. Documentation for Sativyl has already been submitted to ANVISA (the Brazilian equivalent of the FDA) for analysis.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.
Be the first to comment