GW Pharmaceuticals prospers on Epidiolex trial results for rare epilepsy

The UK’s GW Pharmaceuticals (LSE: GWP) has announced positive results of the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III trial of Epidiolex (cannabidiol or CBD) for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), a rare and severe form of childhood-onset epilepsy.

Shares in the company, which is aimed at discovering, developing and commercializing new therapeutics derived from the cannabis plant, climbed by as much as 29% at one point on Monday following the news, before closing up 12.35%.

This trial showed that 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.