Synthetic
marijuana drug returns to U.S. market

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted approval for Valeant Pharmaceuticals International resume marketing the antinausea medication Cesamet, which is a synthetic version of the active ingredient in marijuana, the Associated Press reports. The drug, originally developed by Eli Lilly, was pulled from the market 17 years ago only four years after receiving FDA marketing approval. But Valeant has since purchased the drug from Lilly, and after updating its manufacturing process and revising its label resubmitted it for FDA marketing clearance. Cesamet, also known as nabilone, is already available in Canada. The drug will be available for U.S. chemotherapy recipients. There was no report as to whether the company will seek approval to market Cesamet to other seriously ill patients, including those with HIV. Valeant CEO Wes Wheeler says the company plans to start selling Cesamet in the United States in the next two to three weeks. (The Advocate)