GW Pharmaceuticals could be “the one” moving forward
In stock trading, a blue-chip stock is one that represents a company that is large, stable and financially sound. Those companies are leaders in their respective industries and often become household names with solid track records of earnings and a large market share. This sums up GW Pharmaceuticals, which could actually be the first blue-chip stock of the marijuana industry.
GW was forever entered into the history books when the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved Epidiolex, the first cannabis-based medicine ever authorized to treat Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. Epidiolex is also the first drug to be approved for the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome since 2011.
Epidiolex went from concept to distribution in less than four years, which is uncommon for any medical treatment – especially one based on a controlled substance. It is expected to generate up to $800 million in revenue for GW by the year 2025, and this is only based on preliminary data and restricted distribution. By the end of last year, more than 500 physicians were already prescribing Epidiolex to over 4,500 patients after just two months of having received approval.
GW is already completing the approval process for another cannabis-based drug, Sativex, which would help treat spasticity in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. It has already been approved in 25 countries and, if approved in the U.S., could bring another $100-$150 million to GW.
GW is becoming one of the first and biggest companies to produce cannabis treatments that are receiving international recognition. It has the foundation in place to be one of the biggest winners on the marijuana stock market and could be ultimately classified as the first marijuana blue-chip stock.