CBD oil for Epilepsy – The case in Denmark

Last Updated on June 3, 2020 by Maxwell Harris

Denmark is one of the most liberal countries in Europe. In this article we will look at how this beautiful country views the relatinship between CBD and Epilepsy.

There is now much evidence that CBD oil can act as a remedy for epilepsy seizures that the Danish Medicines Agency has decided that individual cases can be subsidized.

So far there is no structured rule for CBD oil on the Danish market. At first products from the English GW Pharmaceuticals appeared to be available on the market.

Besides, the Glostrup pharmacy was granted permission to produce the CBD oil. That means it is possible for doctors to prescribe CBD Oil for certain forms of Epilepsy.

According to chief physician Jens Ersbøll from the Danish Medicines Agency, he is convinced about the benefits of CBD. He believes that patients with complicated epilepsy, such as Dravet or Lennox-Gastaut, can benefit from the CBD oil because other epilepsy drugs have not worked. He also points out that the drug agency has already granted grants for the first two patients.

Jens Ersboel has also commented on the subsidies for treatment with CBD oil for epilepsy patients. “If you as an epilepsy doctor have one of the 30 to 40 completely impossible cases in which CBD oil could have a positive effect, you have to apply cbd treatment”.

Treatment with the CBD oil can be quite expensive. The CBD oil produced by the Glostrup pharmacy costs € 108 per 10ml. 30ml costs € 262

Without subsidies, chief physician Jens Ersbøll estimates the monthly costs for the treatment with the CBD oil as high. He expects at least € 405-540.

Danish doctors are still debating whether there is an effect on medicinal cannabis.

Helle Hjalgrim, Chairman of the Danish Epilepsy Company, said it was very positive. She advocates the use of CBD oil to treat epilepsy patients. Also, she is now awaiting public approval for the CBD approval of the pharmaceutical company GW Pharmaceutical. She also said the following about CBD oil for the treatment of epilepsy patients: “I understand that there are patients for whom it will be relevant to test the currently available CBD oil, it is also very gratifying to receive a grant, ”

Helle Hjalgrim expects at least 25-30 epilepsy patients who would be suitable to test the CBD oil. Although she doesn’t think the CBD oil is a miracle cure. She hopes that it will still make a difference for the patients.

“It is certainly not the first or second choice as a means to an end that you would choose, but we have patients who have had every means and have performed every treatment. The CBD oil could have a positive effect on them. We can also say that in the Danish Epilepsy Company, we see CBD oil by other new anti-epileptics, “says Helle Hjalgrim.

Physicians specializing in epilepsy and epilepsy have also expressed their desire that epilepsy be one of the diagnoses that will become part of the government’s new agreement on a medical cannabis trial program in patients.

The study system has to be finally approved by 2018, but according to the opinion of the general practitioner Jens Ersbøll, the study by the Danish Medicines Agency for epilepsy patients is completely irrelevant in its current form. Since the cannabis preparations used in the study are plant-based and also contain THC, which has had no detectable effect on epilepsy. Besides, it can damage cognitive skills in children

Jens Ersboel also made it clear why this is so. “The main reason why cannabis was not used for epilepsy patients was that this medicinal form was simply not suitable for them. Since no medication should be used, such as THC, would be harmful to the children in the study. ”

Nevertheless, we have to approach the pilot project much more actively, and also openly announce and explain decisions about the project. Above all, Ellipse doctors have to consider CBD as a drug. Children with Dravet or Lennox-Gastout syndrome will no doubt receive grants afterwards. That’s why I think the epilepsy pilot project is so important. ” According to Jens Ersbøll from the Danish Medicines Agency.

The pharmaceutical company GW Pharmaceuticals developed the so-called Epidiolex, which contains the active ingredient CBD. The reason for this was the positive results with tests with CBD, which prove the effectiveness. Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome patients responded very well.

Read more about Medication with CBD

GW Pharmaceuticals is expected to receive approval for its agent in the spring of 2017 for the United States and Europe. The company wrote this to its investors.

Officially, no studies of the pharmaceutical companies were made public, nevertheless in March 2016 the success of the giant GW Pharmaceuticals was reported.

CBD does not only help against diseases such as cancer and epilepsy. CBD oil can also help with other diseases and disorders, such as crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease:

Some researchers say that CBD can be an effective treatment for bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease. THC and CBD interact with the system that controls the intestinal flora of the body. CBD’s anti-inflammatory ability provides great relief for those who suffer from this disease and therefore have problems with the intestinal flora.

Sources

1. Tzadok, Michal, et al. “CBD-enriched medical cannabis for intractable pediatric epilepsy: the current Israeli experience.” Seizure 35 (2016): 41-44.
2. Devinsky, Orrin et. al. (2017) “Trial of Cannabidiol for Drug-Resistant Seizures in the Dravet Syndrome“. New England Journal of Medicine, 376,21 (2011-2020)
3. Nyhedsbrevet, E. (2017). Lægemiddelstyrelsen åbner for cannabis-olie til epilepsi. Retrieved 16 April 2020, from http://epilepsinyhedsbrevet.dk/laegemiddelstyrelsen-aabner-for-cannabis-olie-til-epilepsi/
4. Nyhedsbrevet, E. (2017). Særligt cannabis-præparat til epilepsi forventes i 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2020, from http://epilepsinyhedsbrevet.dk/saerligt-cannabis-praeparat-til-epilepsi-forventes-i-2017/