Yahoo Finance Australian medicinal cannabis company Althea launches in the UK
Australian medicinal cannabis company Althea has officially launched in the UK on Wednesday, it has announced.
Althea UK will supply cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPM) through a strategic partnership with global cannabis company Aphria, which has collaborated with health systems around the world.
The launch comes following NHS England’s decision in November 2018 to allow doctors to prescribe CBPM to certain patients.
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Althea is already working with prescribers in the UK and said it expects to be supplying products from March 2019.
Patients currently eligible to be prescribed CBPM include those with rare, severe forms of epilepsy; adults with vomiting or nausea caused by chemotherapy; and adults with muscle symptoms caused by multiple sclerosis.
Recent research suggests CBPM could be suitable for up to 2.9 million UK patients, Althea claims.
Josh Fegan, Althea CEO, said: “The UK government’s positive regulatory change represents another major milestone in the advancement of medical cannabis around the world.
“We look forward to collaborating with UK health authorities and healthcare professionals to share our extensive experience in providing cannabis-based products for medicinal use, to tackle unmet medical needs across a range of conditions and disease areas.”
Althea has become a leading supplier of medical cannabis products in Australia since it was founded in Melbourne in 2017.
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The company expects the UK to be a second significant distribution channel for its Australian-grown and manufactured products, it said.
A YouGov poll in March 2018 found 75% of the British public support the use of cannabis on medical grounds.
Jakob Ripshtein, president of Aphria, said: “We’re proud to be one of the first licensed producers to support patients in the UK with access to high-quality medicinal cannabis products following the recent legislation change through this extension of our strategic partnership with Althea.”
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UK patients can only be prescribed CBMP by a specialist doctor on the General Medical Council (GMC) Specialist Register.
The Department of Health and Social Care has asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to produce clinical guidance on the prescribing of CBPM, expected by October 2019.
Althea UK will also launch Althea UK Concierge, which will provide medical education resources for health care professionals (HPC), and guidance on how to access Althea UK products.
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Fegan explained: “Concierge provides comprehensive medical education for healthcare professionals, including clinical evidence, in support of Althea UK products.
“The platform streamlines the registration process and facilitates patient referrals from primary care doctors to Althea UK specialist prescribers.
“Since entering the Australian market in May 2018, 93 registered HCPs are now prescribing Althea CBPM to more than 328 patients across Australia, representing around 20% of the total market.”
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Medical education will be outsourced under an exclusive partnership with specialist medical affairs partner, Ashfield Healthcare, Fegan added.
