GW Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel therapeutics from its proprietary cannabinoid product platform, announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing with Priority Review its recently submitted New Drug Application (NDA) for  Epidiolex (cannabidiol or CBD), an investigational treatment for seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome, two rare and difficult to treat conditions of childhood-onset epilepsy. The PDUFA (Prescription Drug User Fee Act) goal date for completion of the FDA review of the Epidiolex NDA is June 27, 2018.

Priority Review status is designated for drugs that may offer major advances in treatment or provide a treatment where no adequate therapies exist.  The granting of Priority Review for the Epidiolex NDA accelerates the timing of the FDA review of the application compared to a standard review.

In its acceptance letter, the FDA has stated that it is currently planning to hold an advisory committee meeting to discuss this application.

“We are pleased with the FDA’s acceptance of our NDA filing with Priority Review, an action that underscores the unmet need in the LGS and Dravet syndrome populations,” said Justin Gover, GW’s chief executive officer. “We look forward to working with the FDA during the review process to support the case for approval of Epidiolex so as to provide a much needed new treatment option for patients that suffer from these highly treatment-resistant conditions of childhood-onset epilepsy.”