Pubdate: Thu, 23 Jun 2005
Source: Portage la Prairie Daily Graphic (CN MB)
Copyright: 2005 Portage la Prairie Daily Graphic
Contact:  http://www.portagedailygraphic.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1993
Author: Teresa Falk
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Sativex (Sativex)

POT PAIN RELIEVER HITS MARKET

Local MS Sufferer Hoping New Drug Will Ease His Pain

Darwin Wowk is counting on a new drug to ease the pain he experiences 
from multiple sclerosis.

"I'm hoping this will be one of the greatest reprieves I've had in a 
long time," said the Portager, referring to the drug Sativex, a 
peppermint-flavoured mouth spray containing marijuana that gives MS 
sufferers another choice in treating pain.

Sativex was approved by Health Canada about two months ago. Canada is 
the first country in the world in which the drug is available as a 
prescribed treatment for MS-related pain.

Earlier this week, Bayer Health Care, the Canadian distributor of the 
drug which was developed in Great Britain, announced Sativex is 
available for prescription.

Wowk, who was diagnosed with MS in 1987, is hoping to get his hands 
on the new drug as soon as possible.

"I've been having pain related to MS for a long time," the 42 year old said.

Wowk, who's a quadriplegic with secondary progressive multiple 
sclerosis, said the pain is unbearable at times, causing him to miss 
meetings or functions he's planned to attend.

"If I can get any type of pain relief, it would improve my quality of 
life," he said.

News Sativex is now available in Canada was also welcomed by the 
Manitoba division of Multiple Sclerosis Society.

"We're very pleased that there's another option for people to try," 
said Gwenda Nemerofsky, the organization's communications manager.

There are more than 3,000 Manitobans living with MS and up to 80 per 
cent experience some kind of pain, said Nemerofsky. "It's very 
uncomfortable to live with."

Using Sativex is controversial because it contains marijuana, said 
Nemerofsky, but MS patients are using it to relieve pain, not for 
recreational purposes.

MS Society hopes insurance companies will cover the cost of the drug 
considering each vial has a base price of $124.95.

Each vial contains 51 sprays, with an average dose of five sprays per 
day, according to Bayer Health Care. Sativex is sprayed into the 
mouth from a dispenser programmed to deliver a pre-selected dosage.

Local pharmacies, including Hill's East Drugs, are not stocking the 
drug at this time. But the pharmacies said if a patient requested 
Sativex with a doctor's prescription, they will try to order it.

The drug is made of a whole marijuana plant extract including two 
components of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol.

"The product was promising, so it was approved," said Jirina Vlk, 
spokeswoman for Health Canada, noting it was approved with conditions 
for those who suffer from severe pain, including multiple sclerosis 
patients who require additional pain relief.

The federal government recently developed a medicinal marijuana 
program, which allows Canadians who meet certain criteria to possess the drug.
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MAP posted-by: Beth