Supplies of Bedrolite, a specific cannabis oil formulation used by some UK children with epilepsy, are at risk following the bankruptcy of its Dutch manufacturer, Bedrocan. The company was declared bankrupt in October, and families have been told that current supplies could run out within months.
Maggie, whose 15-year-old grandson Alfie has been seizure-free for eight years using Bedrolite, fears his life could revert to how it was before the medication. Before starting the drug, Alfie reportedly suffered 150 seizures a week. Emma Matthews, whose 23-year-old son Louis has been seizure-free for six years on Bedrolite, expressed concern that stopping the medication could be fatal, stating, "It's a cliff-edge condition, if it's stopped, you could die that night."
Bedrocan told the BBC that while the company was declared bankrupt, inventory is still available in the Netherlands, and efforts are underway to restart the business. However, both Alfie and Louis' families have been informed that the Dutch government is preventing the export of this inventory to secure supplies for its own citizens. The UK is believed to have about six months' supply of Bedrolite, but the situation beyond that is unclear.
Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi has written to the health minister, urging the government to secure Bedrolite supplies and to explore options for UK companies to produce similar products. The Department of Health and Social Care stated that access will remain in the short term for NHS and private UK patients, with sufficient stock for the coming months, and that they are working with the UK supplier and Dutch government regarding additional stock.