What does the word “imminent” mean to you?
In the case of the start of a trial for a drug to help children with the most severe epilepsy, it means well over a year away with no realistic start date in view.
The fact that the drug in question is medical marijuana may have some bearing on the issue.
A month ago today, New York state health commissioner Dr Howard Zucker promised an announcement would be made “soon”. A year ago parents were told the trial would be “imminent” – I’m not clear from this whether things are progressing or moving backwards.
The trial was supposed to be with UK-based GW Pharmaceuticals, maker of marijuana-based Epidiolex for severe paediatric epilepsy. The trial was intended to have supplied the product in an oil- or spray-based form to eligible children across the state who do not respond to traditional drug therapies and can suffer from hundreds of seizures in a day.
Understandably, parents of the children who may have been eligible for the trial are getting desperate. One has even enquired if there is a way for her to be given immunity from prosecution if she were to bring medical marijuana into her home to treat her son.
She and others like her were allegedly told that the trial would commence at the beginning of this year.
The delays have frustrated legislators as well.
In April, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, urged the State to find a way to give children access to the drug on an emergency basis. "In January 2014, the governor announced… he was activating the 1980 Olivieri Law to make medical marijuana available to seriously ill patients. It’s almost a year and a half later, and still no one is getting any medication."
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