Medical cannabis company GW Pharmaceuticals has received the most prestigious official award in British business.
The UK-based pharmaceutical firm has been recognised in the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2021 list, an annual set of honours awarded for ‘outstanding achievement’.
The company is best known domestically for developing the only two cannabis-derived treatments to be licensed for use in British healthcare, Sativex and Epidyolex.
Founded in 1998, the company is widely seen as a major player in the medical cannabis world and has reported investment totalling more than £1.3bn, as well as employing 1,100 people globally.
Earlier this year, the company was acquired by Ireland-based Jazz Pharmaceuticals in a move worth £5.3bn.
Dr Geoffrey W Guy, GW founder and chairman, said: “We are honoured to receive such a prestigious award for British businesses.
“When Dr Brian Whittle and I founded GW 23 years ago, our mission was to improve the lives of seriously ill patients by unlocking the potential of the cannabis plant through rigorous scientific investigations and extensive clinical trials in order to obtain regulatory approval for such medicines to benefit patients.
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“Much of what is known about the medical uses of cannabis was discovered by GW.
“We have led the way in understanding cannabinoid science and how, if harnessed correctly and taken through the regulatory approval pathway, it has the potential to improve the lives of patients and their families.
“Today, I want to thank every employee, clinician, researcher, patient and caregiver for helping advance and achieve that mission.”
Chief executive officer Justin Gover said: “Thanks to two decades of perseverance, dedication and pioneering work, GW has established a world-leading position in cannabinoid science and brought breakthrough medicines to patients in a new frontier of medicine.
“We are immensely proud to have that work and dedication recognised by the prestigious Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.
“Our continued commitment to research and development has resulted in the treatment of thousands of patients with our medicines, and the prospect of helping countless more families through our robust pipeline of early- and late-stage product candidates.”
