Competitive Epidiolex pricing could help secure blockbuster status

Cannabidiol specialist GW Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: GWPH) has revealed it plans to charge around $32,500 per year for Epidiolex (cannabidiol), a new oral therapy for certain forms of epilepsy, in the USA. Shares in the UK-based firm are up over 3% for the week.

On a conference call with investors, the firm reportedly explained the price would enable Epidiolex to be comparable with other epilepsy products on the market.

Epidiolex is the first US Food and Drug Administration-approved therapy based on cannabis. While the firm won the green light to market the product earlier this year, it is awaiting approval from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which is investigating its potential for abuse.