FDA Approves 2nd Cannabis-Based Drug from Insys
Insys Therapeutics stock has gained nearly 30 percent over the last two weeks. This week, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved Syndros, an appetite-boosting drug derived from cannabis. This is the second cannabis-based pharmaceutical from Insys that has been approved by the FDA.
This beneficial drug is supposed to help people dealing with cancer, AIDS, sickness-related weight loss, or cachexia or anorexia from cancer and chemotherapy. It was also approved to treat nausea and vomiting. Some are forecasting that sales for this drug to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and is said to possibly double the revenue for this company over the next few years.
The company’s stock (INSY) was down 62 percent on the year through Friday’s close after Insys reported poor first quarter sales of its flagship cancer-pain treatment product, Subsys, a form of the opioid pan-reliever, fentanyl.
The new pharmaceutical drug, Syndros is an oral liquid form of dronabinol, and is the first dronabinol solution approved for oral use by the FDA, and does not need to be refrigerated for 28 days.
Like most pharmaceuticals, there are of course, some side effects. For this drug, side effects are said to include weakness, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, memory loss, anxiety and a “high” feeling—which makes sense, since its from cannabis.
Marinol is a dronabinol brand as well, and has been on the market for years and is available in 2.5mg, 5mg and 10mg capsules.
