A UK hospital has prescribed Althea's CBD10:THC5 oil to patients suffering from chronic persistent pain, a development the Australian company has called a major breakthrough in its relationship with Britain's National Health Service (NHS).
Althea said the milestone confirms its "scientific and data-driven approach" and demonstrates the "efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness [of the medicine] in the management of chronic persistent pain".
Chronic persistent pain — defined as pain enduring beyond three months — is estimated to affect around one in three adults in the UK at some point during their lives.
Prescriptions have so far been issued at a single hospital, but Althea chief executive Josh Fegan said the company now has a "pathway to replicate the program in any NHS hospital in the UK".
"Then there is, of course, a question of scale – how quickly our medical science liaison (MSL) team can reach specialists in other hospitals," he said.
When asked to describe that pathway in detail, Fegan said it was "commercial in confidence".
The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not currently recommend medicinal cannabis for chronic pain management, though Fegan said that was "not an issue for us".
In a statement, Althea described the achievement — "three years in the making" — as a "significant commercial opportunity", pointing out that NHS patients are not required to pay for consultations or prescribed medications beyond a standard dispensing fee.
The company noted that inadequate pain control continues to place a heavy burden on the NHS, with an estimated 20% of patients referred to specialist pain services still turning up at accident and emergency (A&E) departments. Data from the British Pain Society's National Pain Audit shows that 66% of those presenting at A&E for pain relief had already seen a healthcare professional more than three times in the six months prior.
Fegan described the development as "testament to the hard work and dedication of our passionate and highly skilled employees".
He added: "I would like to thank AGH shareholders for their support and patience, as investments in territories like the UK, and wider Europe, begin to shine through and provide significant commercial return on investment opportunities for the company."
