A DRUG containing cannabis has been launched to help sufferers of multiple sclerosis.

The medicine, called Sativex, was developed in part at the Walton Centre, in Fazakerley, and is expected to become widely available to patients.

Taken as a mouth spray, it is used to help alleviate symptoms of spasticity – involuntary muscle stiffness and spasms – associated with MS and is said to be the first symptom relief drug specifically for those with the condition.

It is the first cannabinoid medicine derived from whole plant extracts of the cannabis sativa plant, and is only the second cannabinoid drug to be licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

MS sufferers have welcomed the drug, which they say will help them in coping with their condition.

One user is Fiona Caplan, 51, a mother- of-one from Birkdale, in Southport, who said: “I wouldn’t say it has transformed my life, but it has definitely made things easier.

“I was diagnosed in 1992 and since then have tried a lot of different things, which have either made me very drowsy or just haven’t worked.

“This does have some effect, though, and I’ll be glad to see it more widely available.”

Despite Sativex containing cannabis, Fiona says she has never felt “high” after taking it, and, compared to other treatments, has virtually no side effects.

Fiona, who worked for the Inland Revenue before being made redundant earlier this year, described how the stiffness in her legs and spasms made walking more than short distances impossible.