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FY2012 Annual Report · GW Pharmaceuticals plc
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Improving lives

Annual Report and Accounts 2012

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GW has made strong progress in 2012. 
Sativex® is now launched in seven countries 
as a treatment for spasticity due to multiple 
sclerosis and up to 12 additional launches 
are in planning. We are also undertaking 
our largest ever Phase III clinical programme 
to expand the market for Sativex to cancer 
pain. Our strong financial position allows 
us to invest in advancing our promising 
product pipeline and we look forward to 
making further progress in 2013.

www.gwpharm.com

Contents

01  Highlights 2012
02  GW Today
04 

 Major Market Opportunities: 
Target Therapeutic Areas
 Sativex in MS Spasticity:  
Strong Commercial Progress
 Cancer Pain: Expanding the 
Potential of Sativex®
 Pipeline: Realising the Value of 
our Cannabinoid Platform

06 

10 

12 

14  Chairman’s Statement
16  Managing Director’s Review
22 
26 
28  Directors’ Report
31 

Finance Director’s Review
Board of Directors

 Chairman’s Corporate 
Governance Report

35  Directors’ Remuneration Report
40 

 Statement of Directors’ 
Responsibilities
Independent Auditor’s Report

41 
42  Consolidated Income Statement
43 
Statements of Changes in Equity
44 
Balance Sheets
45  Cash Flow Statements
46  Notes to the Financial Statements
IBC  Advisers

01

Highlights 2012

Commercial 
Sativex in-market sales 
growth follows new 
country launches

22Sativex® is now approved/

recommended for approval 
in 22 countries

R&D
Sativex Phase III 
cancer trial programme, 
positive Phase II 
diabetes data highlight 
breadth of clinical 
activity 

1,000

Sativex Phase III cancer pain 
trials will involve over 1,000 
patients

Financials
Revenue growth 
and net cash inflow 
provides strong balance 
sheet to support R&D 
investment

£33.1m

Total revenue of £33.1m 
in 2012

•	 Sativex	net	in-market	sales	grow	to	£10.0m	(2011:	£5.3m),	

reflecting	108%	volume	growth	

•	 22	countries	have	now	approved/recommended	approval	

for	Sativex	
	– 12	new	European	launches	in	planning

	– Regulatory	submissions	under	way	in	a	further	

eight	countries

•	 Positive	reimbursement	decision	received	in	Germany	

•	 Milestone	payment	of	€11.9m	(£9.8m)	received	from	
Almirall	and	extension	of	Almirall’s	rights	to	Mexico

•	 Patient	recruitment	into	the	two	pivotal	Sativex	Phase	III	

cancer	pain	trials	ongoing.	A	third	Phase	III	cancer	pain	trial	
also	now	under	way	

•	 Positive	data	from	a	Phase	IIa	exploratory	trial	of	GWP42004	

in	type-2	diabetes

•	 Phase	IIa	trial	of	GWP42003	in	ulcerative	colitis	ongoing	

and	due	to	complete	in	H1	2013

•	 Additional	product	candidates	earmarked	for	entry	to	the	

clinic	in	2013	in	glioma	and	epilepsy	

•	 Total	revenue	increased	to	£33.1m	(2011:	£29.6m)	

•	 Net	profit	before	tax	of	£1.2m	(2011:	£2.5m)

•	 Cash	and	short-term	deposits	at	30	September	2012	
increased	to	£29.3m	(30	September	2012:	£28.3m)

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201202

GW Today

World Leading  
Science

GW has a world leading 
position in cannabinoid 
science

We commercialised the 
world’s first plant-derived 
cannabinoid prescription 
drug, Sativex® 

We have a deep pipeline of 
new cannabinoid products 
in a range of therapeutic 
areas 

28

academic collaborators

3,000

patients participated in 
clinical trials

41

patent families

Substantial  
Operations

We have 182 staff of 
which 50% are in technical, 
manufacturing, supply 
chain, quality control and 
quality assurance and 35% 
in clinical research and 
drug safety

We have commercial 
production facilities 
approved by the UK 
regulatory authority and 
are responsible for the 
manufacture and supply of 
Sativex to global markets 

Leading Industry  
Partners

We have entered into 
collaborations with 
major pharmaceutical 
companies which 
have to date yielded 
£69 million in upfront 
fees and milestone 
payments

Almirall	is	Spain’s	largest	
pharmaceutical	company	with	
sales	approximating	€1	billion.	
In	December	2005,	GW	and	
Almirall	entered	into	a	licence	
agreement,	whereby	GW	granted	
Almirall	an	exclusive	license	to	
market	Sativex	in	the	European	
Union	(excluding	the	UK),	
EU	accession	countries	as	well	
as	Switzerland,	Norway	and	
Turkey.	GW	is	responsible	for	the	
manufacture	and	supply	of	Sativex	
to	Almirall.

Novartis	is	one	of	the	world’s	
leading	pharmaceutical	companies.	

GW	has	entered	into	an	exclusive	
licence	agreement	for	Novartis	to	
commercialise	Sativex	in	Australia	
and	New	Zealand,	Asia	(excluding	
Japan,	China	and	Hong	Kong),	
Middle	East	(excluding	Israel/
Palestine)	and	Africa.	

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201203

GW is a biopharmaceutical company focused on 
developing and commercialising new medicines derived 
from our proprietary cannabinoid product platform in 
multiple disease areas. 

Global Reach

Sativex is approved/
recommended for approval 
for the treatment of MS 
spasticity in 22 countries

Sativex is in global Phase 
III trials for the treatment 
of cancer pain, our lead 
indication for the US market

We have exported Sativex to 
34 countries for prescription 
or clinical trial use

The	Otsuka	Group	comprises	
153	companies	and	employs	
approximately	36,000	people	in	23	
countries	and	regions	worldwide.	
In	2007,	GW	entered	into	a	
strategic	alliance	with	Otsuka	
which	comprised	two	separate	
agreements	–	a	Sativex	US	licence	
and	a	global	cannabinoid	research	
collaboration.

22

countries approved/ 
recommended approval

Strong Financials

Approved
Regulatory filing ongoing
Commercial rights licensed

8

regulatory applications 
under review

34

countries exported

£29.3m

cash

£33.1m

revenue

Bayer	HealthCare,	a	subsidiary	
of	Bayer	AG,	is	one	of	the	world’s	
leading,	innovative	companies	
in	the	healthcare	and	medical	
products	industry.	In	2003,	
GW	and	Bayer	entered	into	a	
licence	agreement,	whereby	GW	
granted	Bayer	an	exclusive	license	
to	market	Sativex	in	the	UK	
and	Canada.	

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201204

Major Market Opportunities:
Target Therapeutic Areas

GW’s research focuses 
on the development of 
innovative new medicines 
in high profile therapeutic 
areas in which there are 
significant unmet needs.

MS Spasticity (p6)
Spasticity	is	one	of	the	most	common	and	
disabling	of	the	symptoms,	affecting	up	to	80%	of	
MS	patients	over	their	lifetime.	There	is	no	cure	for	
spasticity	and	it	is	widely	recognised	that	currently	
available	treatments	for	spasticity	are	inadequate.	

Market information

1.3m

MS affects more than 1.3 million 
people worldwide. 

Cancer pain (p10)
Chronic	pain	affects	the	majority	of	cancer	
patients	and	approximately.	75%	of	those	with	
advanced	stage	cancer.	Of	those,	38%	of	patients	
are	inadequately	controlled	or	are	non-responsive	
to	opioid	treatment.

38%

38% of patients with 
advanced cancer are 
inadequately controlled 
by opioid treatment.

Diabetes 

Type	2	diabetes	mellitus	occurs	when	the	body	
cannot	produce	enough	insulin	or	the	insulin	is	not	
working	efficiently	enough.	Patients	with	type	2	
diabetes	mellitus	face	a	three	times	higher	level	of	
mortality	than	the	general	population.

360m

it is estimated that 360 million 
people are living with diabetes 
in the world, 8.5% of the world’s 
population.

Ulcerative Colitis 

Ulcerative	colitis	is	a	chronic,	relapsing	inflammatory	
bowel	disease	affecting	the	colon.	This	inflammation	
of	the	bowel	can	cause	pain,	urgent	diarrhoea,	severe	
tiredness	and	loss	of	weight.	Subjects	with	chronic	
intestinal	inflammation	have	an	increased	risk	of	
developing	bowel	cancers.

0.7m

In the United States, about 
700,000 people are affected 
by ulcerative colitis.

Epilepsy 

Epilepsy	is	a	central	nervous	system	disorder	
affecting	approximately.	1%	of	the	global	
population,	and	is	symptomatically	characterised	
by	chronic,	recurrent	seizures.	Approximately	30%	
of	cases	are	not	adequately	treated	by	currently	
available	anti-epileptic	drugs.

50m

Epilepsy is estimated to affect 
50 million people worldwide.

Schizophrenia 

Schizophrenia	is	a	chronic	disease	that	manifests	
through	disturbances	of	perception,	thought,	
cognition,	emotion,	motivation	and	motor	activity.	
It	affects	approximately	1%	of	the	population.	For	
the	majority	of	patients,	the	disease	has	a	profound	
impact	on	personal	growth	and	development,	with	
progressive	deterioration	of	cognitive	performance	
and	social	functioning.

1%

Schizophrenia affects 
approximately 1% of the 
population.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201205

Current status

2013 objectives

Pre-clinic Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Submit Approval

Approved

	– Sativex®	is	approved/recommended	for	approval	as	a	
treatment	for	MS	spasticity	in	22	countries,	of	which	
18	are	in	Europe.	Sativex	has	been	launched	in	seven	
countries	and	launches	in	up	to	12	further	European	
countries	are	being	planned	from	early	2013	onwards.

We	are	aiming	to	achieve	
continued	sales	growth,	
multiple	new	launches,	further	
approvals	and	regulatory	
submissions.

	– Sativex	is	the	subject	of	eight	ongoing	regulatory	
submissions	in	the	Middle	East	and	Switzerland.

Pre-clinic Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Submit Approval

3 Phase III trials

	– We	have	completed	two	positive	Phase	II	trials	
for	Sativex	in	a	total	of	over	530	patients	with	
advanced	cancer	who	had	failed	to	gain	adequate	
pain	relief	despite	the	use	of	strong	opioids
	– Three	Phase	III	randomised,	placebo-controlled,	
multi-centre,	multinational	clinical	trials	are	now	
under	way	in	partnership	with,	and	funded	by,	our	
US	licensing	partner	for	Sativex,	Otsuka.

We	aim	to	progress	
recruitment	in	all	three	Phase	
III	clinical	trials	in	order	to	
support	regulatory	filings	for	
Sativex	in	cancer	pain	in	the	
United	States,	Europe	and	the	
rest	of	the	world.

Pre-clinic Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Submit Approval

Pre-clinic Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Submit Approval

Pre-clinic Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Submit Approval

Pre-clinic Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Submit Approval

	– We	have	reported	promising	results	from	our	first	
Phase	IIa	clinical	trial	for	the	GW	cannabinoid	
GWP42004	in	the	treatment	of	type	2	diabetes.	
The	completed	Phase	IIa	study	was	a	multi-centre,	
randomised,	double	blind,	placebo	controlled,	
parallel	group	pilot	study	in	62	patients	with	
insulin	resistance.

Following	promising	data	from	
our	first	Phase	II	trial,	we	are	
planning	a	follow-up	Phase	II	trial	
in	2013	to	further	explore	the	
anti-diabetic	effects	of	GWP42004	
at	different	doses.

	– Following	pre-clinical	research	demonstrating	that	
cannabinoids	show	potential	in	the	treatment	of	
Inflammatory	Bowel	Disease	in	standard	in	vivo	
models,	a	Phase	IIa	clinical	study	is	now	under	way	
investigating	GWP42003	in	the	treatment	of	
ulcerative	colitis.	This	study	aims	to	include	
62	patients.

We	expect	to	complete	the	Phase	
IIa	ulcerative	colitis	study	and	
report	results	during	2013.

	– A	lead	candidate,	GWP42006,	has	been	identified,	
supported	by	strong	intellectual	property	and	
additional	confirmatory	pre-clinical	tests	are	
under	way	prior	to	progression	into	clinical	trials.	
Pre-clinical	research	has	shown	GWP42006	has	
the	ability	to	treat	seizures	in	models	of	epilepsy	
with	significantly	fewer	side	effects	than	existing	
anti-epileptic	drugs.	

We	aim	to	complete	pre-clinical	
research	for	GWP42006	in	
epilepsy	and	commence	a	Phase	I	
trial	during	2013.

	– We	have	shown	that	GWP42003	has	notable	
anti-psychotic	effects	in	accepted	pre-clinical	
models	of	schizophrenia	and	importantly	has	also	
demonstrated	the	ability	to	reduce	the	characteristic	
movement	disorders	induced	by	currently	available	
anti-psychotic	agents.

Plans	are	now	under	way	for	
a	Phase	II	trial	investigating	
GWP42003	as	a	treatment	for	
psychiatric	illness.	This	trial	is	due	
to	commence	in	2013.	

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201206

Sativex® provides significant benefits 
to patients’ spasticity and quality of life. 
Sativex also offers benefits to carers and 
to the healthcare system.

Sativex in MS Spasticity: 
Strong  
Commercial 
Progress

MS Spasticity
Multiple	Sclerosis	(“MS”)	is	the	most	common	disabling	
neurological	condition	affecting	young	adults,	affecting	more	
than	1.3	million	people	worldwide.	Spasticity	is	one	of	the	most	
common	and	disabling	of	the	symptoms,	affecting	up	to	80%	of	
MS	patients	over	their	lifetime,	being	moderate	to	severe	in	most	
of	them	and	leading	to	significant	impairment.	

Some	of	the	features	of	spasticity	include	muscle	stiffness,	
difficulty	straightening	joints,	reduced	mobility,	limb	weakness,	
shaking,	intermitted	spasms	and	pain.	As	a	result	of	the	increased	
muscle	tone	due	to	spasticity,	“simple”,	every-day	movements	
become	difficult	or	impossible	altogether.	In	addition,	painful	
muscle	spasms	can	lead	to	difficulty	with	sleeping,	sitting	in	a	
chair	or	lying	in	bed.	The	consequences	of	spasticity	not	only	
cause	huge	distress,	but	quality	of	life,	self-image	and	mood	can	
be	greatly	affected.

Sativex – a Valuable New Treatment
Sativex	addresses	an	unmet	need	by	treating	patients	with	
moderate	to	severe	MS	spasticity	who	have	failed	current	oral	
anti-spasticity	therapies.	

Sativex	has	been	studied	in	five	Phase	III	double-blind,	
randomised,	placebo-controlled	trials.	In	total,	these	studies	
involved	approximately	1,300	patients.	Each	of	these	studies	
has	been	published	in	peer-reviewed	journals.	In	clinical	trials,	
Sativex	has	been	shown	to	provide	effective	relief	of	spasticity	
symptoms	in	patients	for	whom	existing	anti-spasticity	treatments	
have	failed,	reduce	spasms,	improve	sleep	and	improve	function.

34%

of MS patients have 
moderate-severe spasticity

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201207

“ Because my pain is more controllable 
with Sativex, my spasticity is greatly 
improved. I have more days when I 
was mobile than I was before Sativex; 
more days with less pain means a 
better quality of life for myself and 
those around me who are affected 
by my well being.”

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201208

Sativex in MS Spasticity 
continued

Commercial Launches
The	commercialisation	of	Sativex	in	this	indication	has	recently	
commenced	in	seven	countries	–	UK,	Spain,	Germany,	Denmark,	
Norway,	Canada,	Israel.	We	have	also	received	regulatory	approval	
in	a	further	11	countries	and	four	additional	countries	have	
recommended	approval	for	Sativex	–	Italy,	Sweden,	Austria,	Czech	
Republic,	Belgium,	Finland,	Iceland,	Ireland,	Luxembourg,	the	
Netherlands,	Poland,	Portugal,	Slovakia	and	New	Zealand.	
Launches	are	anticipated	in	the	next	12	months	in	many	of	these	
countries.	In	addition,	regulatory	filings	are	ongoing	in	eight	
countries,	seven	in	the	Middle	East	and	Switzerland.	

Published UK Survey Demonstrates Sativex Use 
Can lead to Significant Cost Savings 
A	survey	of	Sativex	prescription	use	in	the	UK	has	been	the	
subject	of	a	peer-reviewed	publication	(Notcutt	W,	Primary	
Health	Care	Research	&	Development,	2012).	124	patients	took	
part	in	the	survey	and	the	mean	duration	of	treatment	with	
Sativex	was	30	months.	The	majority	of	respondents	and	their	
caregivers	reported	improvements	across	a	range	of	daily	
functional	activities,	alongside	a	reduction	in	the	use	of	
concomitant	anti-spasticity	medication	and	in	the	use	of	
other	healthcare	resources.	Also	of	importance	was	the	fact	that	
the	vast	majority	of	caregivers	reported	that,	because	of	Sativex	

“ My life as a carer is greatly enhanced 
by my wife taking Sativex – I get more 
sleep and have less of a struggle 
helping her to dress, feed, bath, toilet.”

UK	survey	of	Sativex	patients	includes	
the	following	findings:

31%

of patients had reduced 
visits to the doctor

31%

of patients had fewer 
accidents requiring medical 
attention

21%

of patients reduced the use 
of other anti-spasticity 
medication

16%

of patients reduced their 
visits to the physiotherapist

14%

of patients able to undertake 
activities without the need for 
help or equipment

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201209

treatment,	there	had	been	a	benefit	to	them.	In	particular,	almost	
50%	of	caregivers	reported	an	improvement	in	their	own	sleep	
quality.	This	suggests	a	reduction	in	the	caregiver’s	burden,	which	
could	also	impact	on	their	well-being	and	also	the	patients.	Taken	
together,	these	findings	suggest	Sativex	provides	important	
long-term	clinical	benefit,	both	to	patients	and	their	caregivers	
and	has	the	potential	to	yield	significant	cost	savings	for	
healthcare	systems.

As	shown	in	the	graph	below,	the	annual	costs	of	treatment	of	
severe	spasticity	patients	in	the	UK	is	£21,873	and	this	reduces	
to	£2,836	for	patients	with	moderate	spasticity.	GW’s	pivotal	
Phase	III	trial	showed	that	91%	of	severe	spasticity	patients	who	
responded	to	Sativex	became	moderate	or	mild	at	the	end	of	the	
16	week	trial.	There	is	therefore	the	potential	for	Sativex	to	yield	
significant	cost	savings	in	the	treatment	of	such	patients.	

Treating Spasticity Reduces Financial Burden on the 
Healthcare System
As	the	severity	of	spasticity	increases,	the	greater	the	financial	
burden	due	to	the	high	demands	on	health	and	social	care.	In	
particular,	severe	spasticity	can	lead	to	complete	immobility	and	
patients	frequently	require	hospital	stays	for	several	months	for	
treatment	of	related	problems	as	well	as	support	from	carers	to	
assist	with	personal	needs	such	as	dressing,	washing,	eating	etc.

German Study Confirms Clinical Benefits of Sativex 
A	formal	prospective	study	of	prescription	use	in	Germany	was	
presented	in	October	2012	at	the	28th	Congress	of	the	European	
Committee	for	Treatment	and	Research	in	Multiple	Sclerosis	
(ECTRIMS)	in	Lyon,	France.	This	study	involved	300	patients	
with	moderate	to	severe	MS	spasticity	and	showed	that	one	
month’s	treatment	with	Sativex	reduced	moderate	to	severe	
spasticity	by	20%	or	more	in	more	than	4	out	of	10	patients	
previously	unresponsive	to	conventional	therapies.	After	three	
months,	the	improvement	observed	was	30%	or	more.	Overall,	
55%	of	the	initial	patients	were	eligible	for	continuing	treatment	
beyond	the	third	month.	Quality	of	life	measurements	
also	improved.

By reducing severity of spasticity, 
Sativex can reduce costs for the
healthcare system

“ I wasn’t sleeping due to my leg 
spasms. With Sativex I now sleep well 
which means I can work full time.”

91% of Sativex responders with severe spasticity 
at baseline become moderate or mild after 
16 weeks treatment. 

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£21,873

£2,836

Severe 

Moderate

£413

Mild

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012 
 
 
 
 
 
10

Cancer Pain: 
Expanding 
the Potential 
of Sativex®

38% of advanced cancer patients 
experience persistent pain that is 
inadequately controlled by opioid 
medications.

Cancer Pain
Chronic,	unremitting	pain	in	deep	tissues	that	results	from	cancer	
adversely	affects	a	significant	patient	population.	Approximately	
75%	of	those	with	advanced	metastatic	cancer	experience	pain,	
of	which	38%	are	inadequately	controlled	by	opioid	medications.

Unmet Need 
The	primary	treatment	for	cancer	pain	is	analgesic	narcotics,	
also	known	as	opioids,	which	are	prescribed	to	approximately	
80%	of	all	cancer	patients.	More	than	half	of	early	stage	cancer	
pain	patients	and	87%	of	advanced	stage	cancer	patients	receive	
opioids.	Opioids	are	often	added	to	non-opioid	analgesics	and	
other	adjuvant	medications	to	control	cancer	pain.	

Patients	that	are	treated	with	opioids	may	either	not	attain	
adequate	pain	relief	or	experience	side	effects	that	limit	the	
opioid	dose	below	that	which	would	enable	pain	relief.	These	
undesirable	side	effects	include	constipation,	sedation,	respiratory	
depression	and	analgesic	tolerance.	

Sativex in Cancer Pain
There	is	currently	no	non-opioid	treatment	indicated	to	treat	
patients	who	do	not	respond	to,	or	experience	negative	side	effects	
with,	opioid	treatments.	Sativex	is	specifically	being	developed	to	
address	this	need.	GW’s	cancer	pain	clinical	programme	is	being	
wholly	funded	by	Otsuka.

WHO Pain Relief Ladder

Strong opioid 
for severe pain

+/- non-opioid
+/- adjuvant

3

Weak opioid 
for moderate
pain

+ non-opioid
+/- adjuvant

2

Non-opioid
for mild pain

+/- adjuvant

1

Sativex treatment for 
advanced cancer  
patients

The	treatment	for	cancer	pain	is	
governed	by	the	World	Health	
Organisation	Pain	Relief	Ladder.	
As	pain	severity	increases,	the	
treatment	options	at	each	step	on	
the	ladder	become	stronger.	Sativex	
is	being	developed	to	treat	patients	
who	do	not	respond	to	opioids.	
At	present,	for	such	patients,	
there	are	few,	if	any,	treatment	
options	available.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201211

Sativex has shown positive results 
in two Phase II trials involving over 
530 patients.

Phase III trials 
programme

Lead indication for Sativex 
in the US

1,000

Three Phase III trials involving 
over 1,000 patients

Trial sites in North America, 
Europe, Latin America 
and Asia

Trials fully funded by Otsuka

Key design features of first 
two Phase III trials mirror 
Phase II trials

Phase III primary endpoint 
yielded statistically 
significant results in both 
Phase II trials

Two Phase II trials published 
in peer-reviewed journals

Sativex Phase II Data
GW	has	completed	two	Phase	II	multinational,	randomised,	
placebo-controlled	studies	for	Sativex	in	cancer	pain.	In	each	of	
the	two	studies,	patients	received	Sativex	or	placebo	as	add-on	
treatment	to	strong	opioid	therapy	while	remaining	on	stable	doses	
of	their	background	optimised	opioid	therapy.	Both	studies	showed	
consistent	positive	results.

Positive	results	from	GW’s	Phase	IIa	trial	in	177	patients	have	been	
published	in	the	Journal of Pain and Symptom Management,	the	
official	journal	of	the	American	Academy	of	Hospice	and	Palliative	
Medicine.	The	most	recent	Phase	IIb	study	in	360	patients	was	
published	this	year	in	the	Journal of Pain,	journal	of	the	American	
Pain	Society.

Results	from	a	long-term	open-label	follow-up	trial	in	43	cancer	
pain	patients	who	had	previously	participated	in	the	Phase	IIa	trial	
were	published	this	year	by	Johnson	J	et	al.	in	the	Journal of Pain 
and Symptom Management.

Phase III Programme
The	pivotal	Phase	III	programme	comprises	three	randomised	
placebo-controlled	multi-centre	multinational	trials	as	well	as	
a	long-term	extension	study.	Patient	recruitment	for	all	studies	is	
ongoing.	The	first	two	pivotal	Phase	III	trials	are	both	intended	to	
recruit	380	patients	and	evaluate	the	efficacy	and	safety	of	Sativex	
versus	placebo	over	a	five	week	treatment	period.	Regulatory	
filings	are	intended	to	be	made	upon	completion	of	the	first	
two	studies.

The	primary	efficacy	analysis	in	the	first	two	pivotal	Phase	III	trials	
is	the	“Cumulative	Proportion	of	Responders	Analysis”	(an	analysis	
of	all	response	levels	characterised	by	percent	improvement	in	pain	
from	baseline	to	end	of	study).	This	analysis	showed	statistically	
significant	results	in	favour	of	Sativex	in	both	the	Phase	IIb	and	
Phase	IIa	trials.	

A	third	supportive	Phase	III	trial	commenced	in	May	2012.	The	
purpose	of	this	trial	is	to	provide,	as	needed,	supplementary	data	to	
that	generated	in	the	two	pivotal	studies.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201212

Pipeline: 
Realising the Value of our 
Cannabinoid Platform

Therapeutic targets

Metabolic
Disease

Oncology

Inflammation

Psychiatric
Illness

Epilepsy

Pain

Mechanism

Cannabinoid
Receptors

Anti-
inflammation

Adenosine
Uptake

TRP
Channels

Serotonin
Receptors

Cannabinoid

THCV

CBC

CBG

THC

CBD

CBDV

CBDA

Proprietary
Cannabinoid
Platform

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201213

We are at the forefront of the commercialisation 
of cannabinoid therapeutics using our proprietary 
product platform to identify, validate and develop 
innovative first-in-class drugs that meet 
significant unmet medical needs. 

Platform Overview
We	have	assembled	a	world	leading	position	
in	cannabinoid	therapeutics	through	our	proven	
proprietary	cannabinoid	product	platform.	
Our	platform	consists	of	a	continually	evolving	
library	of	internally	generated	novel	cannabis	
plant	types	that	produce	selected	cannabinoids,	
discovery	of	novel	cannabinoid	pharmacology	
through	our	network	of	world	leading	
scientists,	a	broad	intellectual	property	
portfolio,	in-house	formulation,	processing	
and	manufacturing	capabilities,	and	
development	and	regulatory	expertise.	

Cannabinoid Science
In	recent	decades,	there	have	been	major	scientific	
advances	that	have	led	to	the	discovery	of	new	
plant-derived	cannabinoids	and	the	cannabinoid	
receptor	system	in	the	human	body,	known	as	the	
endocannabinoid	system.	In	addition,	research	
suggests	the	cannabinoid	system	interacts	with	
other	important	neurotransmitter	and	
neuromodulatory	systems	in	the	human	body,	
including	TRP	channels,	adenosine	uptake,	and	
serotonin	receptors.	We	are	at	the	forefront	of	this	
new	area	of	science	and	our	research	into	a	large	
number	of	these	cannabinoids	suggests	that	each	
has	distinct	pharmacological	effects	and	potential	
therapeutic	applications.	

Areas	of	interest	for	cannabinoids	extend	
to	the	treatment	of	central	nervous	system	
disorders,	cancer,	diabetes,	psychiatric	illness,	
inflammation,	gastro-intestinal	disorders,	and	
neurodegenerative	disease.	

Although	one	cannabinoid,	THC,	is	known	
to	cause	psychoactive	effects	associated	with	the	
use	of	illicit	herbal	cannabis,	none	of	the	other	
cannabinoids	are	known	to	share	these	properties.	
GW’s	research	has	primarily	focused	on	
approximately	15	non-psychoactive	plant-based	
cannabinoids.	We	have	focused	particularly	on	
CBD,	which	has	shown	in	pre-clinical	and	clinical	
testing	to	have	anti-inflammatory,	anti-convulsant,	
anti-psychotic,	anti-oxidant,	neuroprotective	and	
immunomodulatory	effects.	We	have	also	
identified	important	pharmacological	effects	of	
other	cannabinoids,	such	as	the	anti-convulsant	
effects	of	CBDV,	anti-diabetic	effects	of	THCV,	
anti-nausea	effects	of	CBDA	and	anti-cancer	
effects	of	CBG.

Key Target Areas
Diabetes
This	year	GW	reported	encouraging	results	from	
a	Phase	IIa	exploratory	study	identifying	GW’s	
novel	cannabinoid,	GWP42004,	as	a	promising	
new	treatment	for	type	2	diabetes.	GW	will	now	
move	ahead	and	explore	the	clinical	relevance	of	
these	desirable	anti-diabetic	features	of	a	range	of	
doses	of	GWP42004	in	a	larger	Phase	II	study.

Ulcerative Colitis (“UC”)
UC	is	a	chronic,	relapsing	inflammatory	bowel	
disease	affecting	the	colon	which	can	cause	pain,	
urgent	diarrhoea,	severe	tiredness	and	loss	of	
weight.	Several	GW	cannabinoids	have	shown	
anti-inflammatory	properties	and	a	62-patient	
Phase	IIa	trial	is	under	way	to	investigate	the	
efficacy	and	safety	of	GWP42003	compared	to	
placebo	for	the	treatment	of	UC.	This	trial	is	due	
to	report	results	in	2013.	

Epilepsy
Our	lead	epilepsy	drug	candidate,	GWP42006,	
has	shown	the	ability	to	treat	seizures	in	animal	
models	of	epilepsy	with	significantly	fewer	side	
effects	than	existing	anti-epileptic	drugs.	We	
are	currently	conducting	a	final	round	of	
confirmatory	pre-clinical	tests,	expected	to	
complete	in	the	first	half	of	2013.	We	plan	to	
initiate	Phase	I	trials	for	GWP42006	in	2013.

Cancer
Our	most	advanced	cancer	research	is	in	glioma.	
We	have	identified	the	putative	mechanism	of	
action	for	our	cannabinoid	product	candidates	
and	have	shown	cannabinoids	to	have	a	
synergistic	effect	with	temozolomide,	a	standard	
treatment	for	glioma.	In	light	of	this	promising	
pre-clinical	research,	we	are	now	planning	an	
early	proof	of	concept	Phase	Ib	clinical	trial	to	
commence	in	2013.	

Schizophrenia
Our	product	candidate,	GWP42003,	has	
shown	notable	anti-psychotic	effects	in	accepted	
pre-clinical	models	of	schizophrenia	and	has	
also	demonstrated	the	ability	to	reduce	the	
characteristic	movement	disorders	induced	by	
currently	available	anti-psychotic	agents.	We	are	
currently	preparing	to	commence	a	Phase	IIa	
trial	of	GWP42003	in	the	treatment	for	
schizophrenia	in	2013.	

Selected 2012 Publications

CBDV is 
anticonvulsant 
in mouse and rat

Neuropharmacology

CBD after 
hypoxia-ischemia 
to newborn rats reduces 
long-term brain injury 

PER SPEC T I VE S
Towards the use of 
cannabinoids as 
antitumour agents 

BJCP

CBD for 
neurodegenerative 
disorders

Symptom relieving 
and neuroprotective 
effects of THCV in 
animal models of 
Parkinson’s disease

Cannabinoid actions 
at TRPV channels

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201214

Chairman’s  
Statement

Our cannabinoid product platform offers the 
promise of a range of valuable new medicines with 
significant commercial potential and I believe GW is 
ideally placed to maintain a world leading position in 
this area of science for many years to come.

Dr Geoffrey W Guy
Executive	Chairman

I	am	pleased	to	report	another	year	of	excellent	
progress	for	the	Group.	Before	turning	to	this	
year’s	achievements	I	wish	to	reflect	on	the	
important	competitive	and	strategic	strengths	
which	now	underpin	our	business.	Having	
founded	GW	14	years	ago,	I	am	proud	of	the	
progress	made	over	this	time.	More	importantly,	
I	believe	that	GW	has	established	for	itself	a	
position	which	offers	the	prospect	of	a	truly	
exciting	future.	I	see	the	Group’s	key	strengths	
as	follows:
	– The	successful	development	and	regulatory	
approval	of	Sativex®	in	22	countries	in	MS	
spasticity	not	only	offers	near-term	
commercial	growth	potential	but	also	
provides	important	validation	of	our	
cannabinoid	product	platform.

	– The	substantial	Phase	III	cancer	pain	

in	the	United	States,	the	world’s	largest	
pharmaceutical	market.	

	– As	a	company	at	the	forefront	of	the	
commercialisation	of	cannabinoid	
therapeutics,	we	have	the	opportunity	to	
develop	first-in-class	treatments	across	a	large	
number	of	therapeutic	targets.	

	– We	have	formed	several	collaborations	with	
major	global	pharmaceutical	companies,	
including	with	Otsuka,	Almirall,	Novartis	
and	Bayer.	

	– We	hold	a	strong	competitive	position	within	
the	highly	specialised	cannabinoid	area,	
including	41	patent	families.	

	– We	have	a	highly	skilled	in-house	research	

and	development	team	and	operate	in-house	
commercial	manufacturing	facilities	capable	
of	servicing	global	markets.	

programme,	fully	funded	by	Otsuka,	offers	
the	prospect	of	expanding	significantly	the	
global	market	for	Sativex	and	in	particular	is	
designed	to	support	a	regulatory	submission	

	– We	collaborate	closely	with	a	broad	network	
of	leading	scientists	in	the	cannabinoid	field,	
including	28	academic	institutions	in	
eight	countries.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012“I am pleased to 
report another 
year of excellent 
progress for 
the Group.”

15

	– Our	focus	on	complex	cannabinoid	

pharmacology	is	well	suited	to	address	
the	treatment	of	chronic	diseases,	and	is	
consistent	with	an	increasing	recognition	that	
improved	treatments	will	involve	the	need	to	
demonstrate	multiple	pharmacology.	

recently	Vice	President	Global	Marketing	
Operations	at	UCB	Pharmaceuticals	and	his	
previous	experience	includes	18	years	at	
GlaxoSmithKline	in	senior	commercial	roles	
in	both	the	European	and	UK	organisations.

It	is	my	ambition	to	harness	these	strengths	in	
order	to	drive	the	future	growth	of	our	Group.	
I	consider	cannabinoids	to	offer	the	basis	of	a	
range	of	valuable	new	medicines	with	significant	
commercial	potential	and	believe	GW	is	ideally	
placed	to	maintain	a	world	leading	position	in	
this	area	of	science	for	many	years	to	come.

This	past	year	has	seen	progress	which	reflects	
the	broad	scope	of	these	strengths.	In	particular,	
we	have	seen	strong	growth	of	Sativex	in-market	
sales	and	further	regulatory	approvals	of	this	
important	medicine.	In	addition,	we	have	
achieved	solid	recruitment	into	our	Phase	III	trials	
programme	for	Sativex	in	cancer	pain,	which	now	
comprises	three	global	trials	and	is	expected	to	
involve	over	1,000	patients.	Beyond	Sativex,	we	
have	generated	encouraging	data	from	our	first	
Phase	II	trial	for	GWP42004,	a	novel	cannabinoid	
drug	candidate,	in	type	2	diabetes.	We	have	also	
commenced	a	Phase	II	study	for	GWP42003	in	
the	treatment	of	ulcerative	colitis	and	generated	
pre-clinical	data	in	a	number	of	other	therapeutic	
areas,	in	particular	in	epilepsy	and	glioma.	

During	the	year,	there	were	a	number	of	changes	
to	the	Board.	In	June	2012,	Adam	George	became	
Finance	Director,	having	previously	served	as	
GW’s	Company	Secretary	and	Group	Financial	
Controller	since	2007.	Adam	replaced	David	Kirk	
who	elected	to	stand	down	from	the	Board	after	
10	successful	years	as	Finance	Director.	In	
addition,	in	October	2012,	we	were	pleased	to	
welcome	Chris	Tovey	to	the	Board	in	the	newly	
created	role	of	Chief	Operating	Officer.	The	
decision	to	appoint	a	Chief	Operating	Officer	
reflects	the	significant	expansion	in	the	Group’s	
operations	over	recent	years.	Chris	was	most	

At	our	forthcoming	Annual	General	Meeting	
on	18	January	2013,	Richard	Forrest,	a	non-
executive	Director,	will	be	retiring	by	rotation.	
After	six	years	of	service,	Richard	has	chosen	not	
to	seek	re-election	at	the	AGM	for	a	third	
third-year	term	and	will	therefore	formally	step	
down	from	the	Board	on	that	date.	I	would	like	
to	take	this	opportunity	to	thank	Richard	for	his	
valuable	contribution	to	the	Board	over	the	last	
six	years.

We	can	look	forward	to	continued	progress	
in	2013.	Further	Sativex	launches	in	up	to	12	
countries	in	Europe	are	planned	for	next	year	
and,	with	eight	additional	regulatory	applications	
under	way,	we	expect	to	announce	further	
approvals.	The	Sativex	Phase	III	cancer	pain	
programme	will	also	continue	to	advance	towards	
completion.	In	addition,	next	year	holds	great	
promise	for	our	cannabinoid	product	pipeline,	
notably	through	further	Phase	II	development	of	
GWP42004	in	type	2	diabetes,	Phase	II	data	for	
GWP42003	in	ulcerative	colitis	and	new	product	
candidates	entering	the	clinic	in	epilepsy,	glioma	
and	schizophrenia.

Finally,	I	should	like	to	thank	our	dedicated	
staff	for	their	hard	work	and	considerable	
achievements	this	year.	The	Group’s	operations	
have	expanded	significantly	in	the	last	few	years	
and	I	am	delighted	that	the	newer	members	of	
our	team	share	the	enthusiasm	and	commitment	
which	has	been	characteristic	of	our	company	
since	inception.	

Dr Geoffrey W Guy
Executive	Chairman
27	November	2012	

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201216

Managing Director’s 
Review

GW has made strong progress in 2012. Commercial 
launches of Sativex® are now under way and we look 
forward to several further launches next year. Beyond 
MS, our Phase III cancer pain trials provide the 
opportunity to enhance the market potential for 
Sativex. The product pipeline is also showing great 
promise and we look forward to continued progress 
in 2013.

Justin Gover
Managing	Director

Sativex Commercial
GW	is	increasingly	a	commercial	business	
generating	sales	revenues	through	supply	
of	commercial	product	to	GW’s	marketing	
partners.	Sativex	is	now	launched	in	seven	
countries,	an	additional	12	launches	are	
in	planning,	and	eight	further	regulatory	
applications	are	in	progress.	With	Sativex	
having	now	entered	the	early	phase	of	its	
commercial	life	and	with	a	large	number	
of	new	markets	expected	to	launch	in	the	
next	two	years,	in-market	sales	growth	
generated	by	marketing	partners	is	
expected	to	drive	GW	revenue	growth	
from	product	sales.	

Sativex R&D
Sativex	is	currently	approved/recommended	
for	approval	in	22	countries	for	spasticity	
due	to	MS	but	with	three	large	Phase	III	
studies	in	cancer	pain	ongoing,	we	believe	
that	the	MS	indication	represents	only	the	
start	of	Sativex’s	commercial	potential.	
GW	is	seeking	to	maximise	the	potential	
of	Sativex	through	these	cancer	pain	
trials	which	are	fully	funded	by	Otsuka	
Pharmaceutical	Co.	Ltd.	This	programme	
is	targeted	at	the	important	US	market	but	
we	also	intend	to	use	the	data	for	global	
regulatory	filings	in	order	to	address	this	
major	unmet	need	across	the	world.	

Cannabinoid Platform/ 
Pipeline R&D
GW	occupies	a	world	leading	position	in	
cannabinoid	science.	We	believe	that	there	
is	significant	opportunity	to	leverage	this	
strategic	position	to	develop	a	number	of	
new	medicines.	This	is	underlined	by	the	
encouraging	results	from	a	Phase	II	
exploratory	trial	of	a	novel	cannabinoid,	
GWP42004,	in	type	2	diabetes	while	a	
Phase	II	trial	in	ulcerative	colitis	for	
another	cannabinoid,	GWP42003,	is	
ongoing.	In	addition,	following	highly	
promising	pre-clinical	data	in	cancer	and	
epilepsy,	an	initial	Phase	Ib/IIa	clinical	trial	
in	glioma	is	in	planning	for	2013	and	a	lead	
drug	candidate	for	the	epilepsy	programme	
has	been	identified	and	is	expected	to	enter	
Phase	I	trials	in	2013.	

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012“ The volume 
of Sativex sold 
in-market 
by our partners 
increased year on 
year by 108%.”

17

finalise	their	approvals	in	the	coming	months.	
In	prior	years,	Sativex	had	received	approvals/
recommendations	for	approval	in	the	UK,	Spain,	
Germany,	Denmark,	Italy,	Sweden,	Austria,	and	
the	Czech	Republic.	A	regulatory	application	is	
ongoing	in	Switzerland	and	due	to	complete	
in	2013.

Beyond	Europe,	we	have	now	received	
notification	of	regulatory	approval	in	Australia	for	
Sativex	in	MS	spasticity.	Earlier	this	year,	Sativex	
received	approval	in	Israel	for	the	two	indications	
of	MS	Spasticity	and	MS	neuropathic	pain.	
Sativex	has	also	previously	received	regulatory	
approval	for	MS	spasticity	in	Canada	and	New	
Zealand.	In	addition,	regulatory	submissions	have	
been	filed	in	seven	countries	in	the	Middle	East.

A	regulatory	application	is	also	under	way	
in	Switzerland.	

Commercialisation 
Total	Sativex	in-market	net	sales	rose	to	£10.0m	
(equivalent	to	£11.1m	gross	sales)	in	2012	from	
£5.3m	last	year.	The	volume	of	Sativex	10ml	
vials	sold	in-market	by	our	partners	increased	
year	on	year	by	108%.	Almirall	launched	the	
medicine	this	month	in	Norway	having	
previously	launched	in	Germany,	Spain	and	
Denmark	in	2011.	

We	expect	Sativex	launches	in	up	to	an	additional	
12	countries	in	Europe	in	the	next	12	to	24	
months	following	completion	of	mandatory	
pricing	and	reimbursement	procedures	in	each	
country.	The	next	important	market	expected	to	
launch	is	Italy,	expected	in	Q1	2013.

The	drug	is	currently	commercialised	in	7	
countries	–	Germany,	Spain,	UK,	Denmark,	
Norway,	Canada	and	Israel.	

New Data from Germany and UK Confirm 
Benefits and Support Cost-Effectiveness
At	the	European	Congress	of	Multiple	Sclerosis	
(“ECTRIMS”)	in	October	2012,	Almirall	hosted	
a	satellite	symposium	highlighting	the	key	
benefits	of	Sativex,	which	was	attended	by	some	
900	delegates.	At	this	symposium	results	of	the	
MObility	ImproVEments	with	Spasticity	in	
Multiple	Sclerosis	(MOVE)	2	observational	
study	performed	in	300	patients	in	Germany	
were	presented.	Results	from	this	study	are	
provided	on	page	9	of	this	report	and	show	that	
the	clinical	response	rate	on	Sativex	is	consistent	
with,	and	somewhat	better	than,	that	seen	in	
clinical	trials.

GW	has	made	strong	progress	in	2012.	We	are	
pleased	with	the	significant	growth	of	Sativex	
in-market	sales	and	look	forward	to	further	
launches	in	up	to	12	countries	in	Europe	next	
year.	In	addition,	we	are	now	undertaking	our	
largest	ever	clinical	programme	to	expand	the	
market	opportunity	for	Sativex	beyond	multiple	
sclerosis	to	cancer	pain.	This	programme	
comprises	three	global	Phase	III	cancer	pain	
trials	and	is	fully	funded	by	our	partner,	Otsuka.	
Importantly,	success	in	this	indication	is	
intended	to	lead	to	our	first	commercial	launch	
in	the	United	States	market.	Our	strong	financial	
position	allows	us	to	invest	in	advancing	our	
product	pipeline	and	we	are	encouraged	by	the	
recent	data	reported	from	our	first	Phase	II	trial	
for	GWP42004,	a	novel	cannabinoid	drug	
candidate,	in	type	2	diabetes.	We	look	forward	
to	progressing	this	and	other	clinical	
programmes	in	2013.

Sativex Commercial
In	March	2012,	we	signed	an	amendment	to	the	
Sativex	licence	agreement	with	our	European	
partner	Almirall.	As	a	result,	we	received	a	new	
milestone	of	€11.9m	(£9.8m)	in	May	2012	based	
on	achievement	of	a	cancer	pain	trial	patient	
recruitment	target.	Including	this	payment,	
GW	has	to	date	received	£69m	in	signature	fees,	
technical	access	fees	and	milestone	payments	
from	its	various	licence	agreements.	GW	is	
eligible	to	receive	up	to	a	further	£201m	in	
additional	milestone	payments	and	also	
generates	royalty/product	supply	income	derived	
from	sales	by	its	existing	commercial	partners.

The	2012	Almirall	amendment	also	granted	
Almirall	extended	commercial	rights	to	Sativex	
beyond	Europe	to	include	Mexico.	GW	also	
agreed	to	reduce	the	Sativex	supply	price	
charged	by	GW	to	Almirall	over	the	next	few	
years	until	the	launch	of	Sativex	in	the	cancer	
pain	indication	in	Europe	and	agreed	to	cancel	
future	cancer	pain	launch	milestones	of	£5.5m.

Regulatory Progress – MS Spasticity
Sativex	is	currently	approved/recommended	for	
approval	in	22	countries,	including	18	countries	
in	Europe	where	it	is	the	first	new	therapeutic	
solution	to	treat	MS	symptoms	in	over	10	years.	
It	is	indicated	as	a	treatment	for	symptom	
improvement	in	patients	with	moderate	to	
severe	MS	spasticity	who	have	not	responded	
adequately	to	other	anti-spasticity	medication	
and	who	demonstrate	clinically	significant	
improvement	in	spasticity	related	symptoms	
during	an	initial	trial	of	therapy.

In	May	2012,	GW	successfully	completed	the	
Mutual	Recognition	Procedure	(“MRP”)	in	10	
additional	European	countries	for	approval	of	
Sativex.	Of	these	10	countries,	Belgium,	Finland,	
Iceland,	the	Netherlands,	Norway,	Portugal	and	
Slovakia	have	now	finalised	their	national	
regulatory	approvals.	We	expect	the	remaining	
countries	(Ireland,	Luxembourg,	Poland)	to	

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012Pre-clinic

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Submit

Approval

18

Managing 
Director’s 
Review 
continued

Sativex

MS Spasticity

Sativex

Cancer pain

Sativex

Neuropathic pain

Type 2 diabetes

GWP42004

Type 2 Diabetes

Inflammation

GWP42003

Ulcerative Colitis

Otsuka funded

GWP42002
GWP42003

Glioma/Breast cancer

GWP42006

Epilepsy

GWP42003

Psychiatric illness

£69m

GW has recived £69m 
in upfront and milestone 
payments from its license 
agreements

In	the	UK,	Sativex	prescription	use	in	the	UK	
has	been	the	subject	of	a	recent	peer-reviewed	
publication	(Notcutt	W,	Primary	Health	Care	
Research	&	Development,	2012).	Results	from	
this	124	patient	survey	are	provided	on	page	8	
of	this	report	and	suggest	Sativex	provides	
important	long-term	clinical	benefit,	both	
to	patients	and	their	caregivers	and	has	the	
potential	to	yield	significant	cost	savings	for	
healthcare	systems.

In	addition,	a	recent	publication	(Sativex	in	
multiple	sclerosis	spasticity:	a	cost-effectiveness	
model	–	Slof	J	et	al,	Expert	Rev.	Pharmacoecon.	
Outcomes	2	Res.	12(4),	(2012))	has	shown	that	
Sativex	is	a	cost	effective	treatment.

Germany
In	June	2012	the	commercial	prospects	for	
Sativex	in	Germany	were	significantly	enhanced	
following	receipt	of	a	positive	resolution	from	
the	Federal	Joint	Committee	(G-BA)	supporting	
reimbursement	of	the	product.	This	resolution	
allows	Almirall	to	proceed	with	the	next	and	
final	step	in	the	process,	agreement	of	a	
long-term	price	with	the	German	pricing	
authorities,	a	process	which	is	expected	to	
conclude	in	the	coming	months.

Sativex	was	launched	in	Germany	by	Almirall	in	
July	2011.	With	over	120,000	people	with	MS,	
Germany	represents	the	largest	European	market	
opportunity	for	Sativex.	The	market	performance	
since	launch	has	been	strong	with	Almirall’s	

ex-factory	net	sales	in	the	12	months	to	30	
September	2012	reaching	€4.9m	(2011:	€0.9m).	

Spain
Despite	the	challenges	posed	by	the	economic	
climate	in	Spain,	GW	and	Almirall	are	pleased	
with	initial	sales	performance	of	Sativex	since	its	
launch	in	March	2011.	Almirall’s	ex-factory	net	
sales	in	the	12	months	to	30	September	2012	
reached	€2.1m	(2011:	€0.7m).	Formulary	listings	
have	now	been	achieved	in	the	majority	of	key	
target	hospitals	and	sales	growth	is	expected	to	
continue	during	the	coming	year.	Sativex	is	a	
fully	reimbursed	medicine	under	Spain’s	
National	Health	System.	

UK 
In	the	UK,	Sativex	generated	in-market	net	sales	
in	the	12	months	to	30	September	2012	of	£2.4m	
(2011:	£2.4m).	The	drug	was	launched	in	this	
market	in	2010	by	GW’s	UK	marketing	partner,	
Bayer	HealthCare.	

The	pace	of	sales	growth	in	the	UK	is	expected	to	
be	determined	by	Bayer’s	efforts	to	secure	NHS	
funding	for	Sativex	from	local	Primary	Care	
Trusts	(“PCTs”).	A	significant	body	of	work	has	
been	undertaken	this	year	to	demonstrate	the	
positive	budget	impact	that	Sativex	may	have	for	
PCTs	in	terms	of	the	reduced	cost	burden	on	the	
NHS	for	patients	who	benefit	from	Sativex	
treatment.	This	new	pharmaco-economic	data	
was	introduced	by	Bayer	in	summer	2012	and	will	
be	the	focus	of	their	strategy	for	next	year.	

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012In	addition,	the	NICE	is	reviewing	Sativex	as	
part	of	a	proposed	updated	set	of	NICE	MS	
Treatment	Guidelines.	This	review	process	is	
now	under	way.	

Norway/Denmark 
Launch	in	Norway	took	place	in	November	2012.	
Sales	to	date	in	Denmark	have	been	modest.

New European Launches
The	next	major	Sativex	launch	is	expected	in	
Italy	in	early	2013.	Launches	are	also	in	planning	
for	Sweden,	Austria,	Czech	Republic,	Belgium,	
Finland,	Iceland,	Ireland,	Luxembourg,	the	
Netherlands,	Poland,	Portugal	and	Slovakia.	
In	each	country,	Sativex	requires	pricing	and	
reimbursement	to	be	agreed	with	the	national	
authorities	prior	to	launch.	The	length	of	time	
required	for	pricing/reimbursement	varies	
considerably	across	countries.	

SATIVEX R&D – Entry into the US Market 
and Expanding the Sativex Label
Sativex in Cancer Pain 
Market	research	suggests	the	commercial	
potential	of	Sativex	in	the	treatment	of	
cancer	pain	is	significant.	It	is	estimated	that	
approximately	38%	of	advanced	cancer	patients	
suffer	pain	which	is	not	adequately	treated	by	
opioid	therapy,	the	current	standard	of	care.

GW’s	cancer	pain	clinical	programme	is	being	
wholly	funded	by	Otsuka,	which	has	licensed	
the	US	commercialisation	rights	to	this	product.	
The	programme	is	the	largest	ever	undertaken	
by	GW	and	involves	trial	sites	in	Europe,	North	
America,	Latin	America	and	Asia.	The	trials	are	
designed	to	obtain	approval	in	this	indication	
from	the	Food	&	Drug	Administration	(“FDA”)	
in	the	US,	and	these	data	are	also	intended	to	be	
used	by	GW	for	future	regulatory	applications	in	
this	indication	in	Europe	and	around	the	world.

Prior	to	commencing	the	Phase	III	programme,	
GW	completed	two	Phase	II	studies	including	
over	530	patients	with	positive	results.	Both	of	
these	have	been	published	in	peer-reviewed	
journals,	the	most	recent	being	published	earlier	
this	year	in	the	Journal	of	Pain,	the	official	
journal	of	the	American	Pain	Society	(Portenoy	
R	et	al.	2012,	Journal	of	Pain,	Vol	13,	Issue	5,	
pp	438–449).	In	addition,	a	study	confirming	
the	efficacy	and	safety	of	Sativex	in	long-term	
use	in	patients	with	cancer	pain	has	recently	
been	published	(Johnson	J	et	al.	J	Pain	Sympt	
Management.	2012	Nov	7	doi:pii	S0885-00439-
3.10.1016/j.painsymman	2012.07.14).

Pivotal Phase III Programme
The	pivotal	Phase	III	programme	comprises	
two	randomised	placebo-controlled	multi-centre	
multinational	trials	as	well	as	a	long-term	
extension	study.	Patient	recruitment	for	both	
studies	is	ongoing.	Initial	recruitment	focused	
on	European	trial	sites	and	operations	have	
expanded	over	recent	months	to	a	large	number	

19

Welcome to our 
Chief Operating 
Officer

In	October	2012,	we	were	pleased	to	welcome	
Chris	Tovey	to	the	Board	in	the	newly	created	
position	of	Chief	Operating	Officer.	This	new	role	
reflects	the	significant	expansion	of	GW’s	
operations	in	recent	years.	

Chris	has	extensive	and	diverse	commercial	
experience	from	more	than	25	years	in	the	
pharmaceutical	industry.	He	was	most	recently	
Vice	President	Global	Marketing	Operations	at	
UCB	Pharmaceuticals,	responsible	for	worldwide	
marketing	activities	on	a	portfolio	of	UCB	
products	generating	over	€2	billion	in	annual	
sales.	This	portfolio	encompassed	a	broad	range	
of	therapeutic	areas	(including	epilepsy,	other	
CNS,	cardiovascular,	anaemia,	allergy)	spread	
across	most	regions	of	the	world.	Previous	
experience	and	roles	at	UCB	included	two	years	
spent	as	Managing	Director	Greece	and	Cyprus	
and	prior	to	that	a	role	leading	all	UCB	activities	
on	the	orphan	narcotic	medication	Xyrem,	used	in	
the	treatment	of	Narcolepsy.	Previous	experience	
includes	18	years	at	GlaxoSmithKline,	in	senior	
commercial	roles	in	both	the	European	and	
UK	organisations.	

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201220

Managing 
Director’s 
Review 
continued

“ GW has reported 
encouraging results 
from a Phase IIa 
exploratory study 
identifying GW’s 
novel cannabinoid, 
GWP42004, as 
a promising new 
treatment for type 
2 diabetes.”

of	US	sites	which	are	due	to	contribute	significant	
patient	numbers	for	the	remainder	of	the	studies.	
Regulatory	filings	are	intended	to	be	made	upon	
completion	of	these	two	studies.

Each	Phase	III	trial	is	intended	to	recruit	
380	patients	and	will	evaluate	the	efficacy	and	
safety	of	Sativex	versus	placebo	over	a	five	week	
treatment	period.	The	primary	efficacy	analysis	
is	the	continuous	response	analysis,	the	same	
analysis	that	has	yielded	statistically	significant	
results	in	both	Phase	II	trials.

Third Phase III Trial
A	third	supportive	Phase	III	trial	commenced	
in	May	2012.	The	purpose	of	this	trial	is	to	
provide,	as	needed,	supplementary	data	to	that	
generated	in	the	two	pivotal	studies.

The	third	Phase	III	trial	differs	in	design	from	the	
first	two	studies,	employing	an	“enriched	study	
design”	akin	to	that	which	was	successfully	
employed	in	the	MS	spasticity	trials	programme.	
The	study	involves	exposing	patients	to	Sativex	
in	a	single	blind	phase	of	two	weeks	duration	
(“Phase	A”),	following	which	responders	will	be	
randomised	either	to	stay	on	Sativex	or	switch	to	
placebo	in	a	double	blind	phase	for	a	five	week	
treatment	period	(“Phase	B”).	The	primary	
efficacy	analysis	will	be	the	mean	change	from	
baseline	in	Phase	B.	The	study	will	aim	to	recruit	
540	patients	into	Phase	A	and	target	216	patients	
to	enter	Phase	B.	

Sativex Investigator Studies
As	with	any	new	medicine,	the	availability	of	
Sativex	has	provoked	interest	in	its	potential	for	
other	neurological	conditions,	particularly	motor	
disorders	and	neurodegenerative	diseases.	GW	
is	working	with	a	number	of	leading	academic	
centres	around	Europe	studying	Sativex	in	
conditions	such	as	amyotrophic	lateral	sclerosis	
(the	most	common	form	of	motor	neurone	
disease),	Huntington’s	disease,	cervical	dystonia	
and	Tourette’s	syndrome.

Cannabinoid Platform/Pipeline R&D
GW	occupies	a	world	leading	position	in	
cannabinoid	science.	The	Company	has	
developed	a	proprietary	and	validated	
cannabinoid	technology	platform	and	formed	
constructive	collaborations	with	leading	
international	scientists,	universities	and	
institutions	in	the	field.	GW’s	research	network	
now	extends	to	28	academic	institutions	in	eight	
countries	and	involves	research	in	a	wide	range	
of	therapeutic	areas,	including	oncology,	
neuroscience,	metabolic	disease,	inflammatory	
disease,	gastroenterology,	and	dermatology.	
The	objective	of	this	research	effort	is	to	progress	
a	number	of	GW’s	new	cannabinoid	pipeline	
candidates	to	full	clinical	development.

In	March	2012,	GW	announced	that	Professor	
Vincenzo	Di	Marzo	has	joined	the	Company’s	
research	team	as	Research	Director	of	GW	

Research	Ltd	and	GW’s	Cannabinoid	Research	
Institute	and	is	now	directing	GW’s	global	
pre-clinical	research	programme.	Alongside	
Professor	Roger	Pertwee,	GW’s	Director	of	
Pharmacology,	Professor	Di	Marzo	is	one	of	the	
world’s	most	eminent	cannabinoid	scientists.

In-House Funded Research
The	principal	areas	of	GW’s	investment	are	in	
diabetes/metabolic	disease	and	inflammatory	
conditions.	GW	is	selectively	investing	its	
resources	to	advance	this	part	of	the	cannabinoid	
pipeline	with	a	view	to	signing	new	out-licensing	
agreements	in	due	course.	

Diabetes/Metabolic Disease
GW	has	reported	encouraging	results	from	a	
Phase	IIa	exploratory	study	identifying	GW’s	
novel	cannabinoid,	GWP42004,	as	a	promising	
new	treatment	for	type	2	diabetes.	In	the	study,	
which	examined	a	number	of	clinically	relevant	
endpoints	in	patients	with	type	2	diabetes,	
GWP42004,	an	oral	cannabinoid	treatment,	
showed	consistent	evidence	of	anti-diabetic	
effects.	These	findings	are	consistent	with	
pre-clinical	data	showing	that	GWP42004	
protects	the	insulin-producing	cells	of	the	
pancreatic	islets,	a	highly	desirable	feature	of	a	
new	anti-diabetic	medicine,	increases	insulin	
sensitivity	and	reduces	fasting	plasma	glucose	
levels.	GW	will	now	move	ahead	and	explore	the	
clinical	relevance	of	these	desirable	anti-diabetic	
features	of	a	range	of	doses	of	GWP42004	in	a	
larger	Phase	II	study.	

Initial	findings	from	a	separate	pilot	study	
exploring	the	effect	of	GWP42003	on	liver	fat	
in	24	patients	with	Non-alcoholic	Fatty	Liver	
Disease	has	not	showed	any	meaningful	clinical	
effect.	A	third	Phase	IIa	study	investigating	
whether	GWP42003	and	GWP42004	can	prevent	
weight	gain	in	60	patients	taking	anti-psychotic	
therapy	has	been	unsuccessful	in	achieving	a	
sufficient	pace	of	patient	recruitment.	In	light	of	
the	positive	findings	for	GWP42004	in	the	type	2	
diabetes	study,	it	has	been	decided	to	terminate	
this	study	and	to	refocus	our	anti-psychotic	
clinical	research	on	investigating	GWP42003	as	a	
treatment	for	psychiatric	illness.	A	Phase	II	study	
is	in	planning	for	2013	(see	below).

Ulcerative Colitis
Following	pre-clinical	research	demonstrating	
that	cannabinoids	show	potential	in	the	
treatment	of	Inflammatory	Bowel	Disease	in	
standard	in	vivo	models,	GW	commenced	this	
year	a	Phase	IIa	clinical	study	investigating	
the	efficacy	and	safety	of	GWP42003	in	the	
treatment	of	ulcerative	colitis.	This	study	aims	
to	include	62	patient	and	the	chief	investigator	
is	Dr	Peter	Irving	at	Guy’s	and	St	Thomas’s	
Hospital,	London.	This	trial	is	expected	to	
report	preliminary	results	in	mid-2013.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201221

drugs	(Hill	AJ,	et	al.	2012,	Cannabidivarin	is	
anticonvulsant	in	mouse	and	rat	in	vitro	and	in	
seizure	models,	Br	J	Pharmacol).	In	the	study,	
GWP42006	strongly	suppressed	seizures	in	six	
different	experimental	models	commonly	used	in	
epilepsy	drug	discovery.	GWP42006	was	also	
found	to	work	when	combined	with	drugs	
currently	used	to	control	epilepsy.

As	mentioned	above,	plans	are	now	under	way	
for	a	Phase	II	trial	investigating	GWP42003	as	
a	treatment	for	psychiatric	illness.	This	trial	is	
due	to	commence	in	2013.	There	is	extensive	
laboratory	evidence	in	human	and	animal	models	
indicating	that	GWP42003	has	antipsychotic	
activity,	including	both	dopamine	and	glutamate	
models	of	psychosis,	studies	targeting	
endophenotypes	and	sophisticated	naturalistic	
observations.	Pre-clinical	data	generated	by	GW/
Otsuka	shows	that	GWP42003	has	the	potential	
not	only	to	enhance	symptom	improvement,	but	
also	to	reduce	the	unwanted	motor	side-effects	of	
antipsychotic	agents.	Importantly,	unlike	current	
anti-psychotic	medications,	the	mechanism	of	
GWP42003	does	not	rely	on	the	dopamine	D2	
receptor	for	its	effect	offering	the	prospect	of	
augmenting	the	effect	of	current	anti-psychotics	
without	the	side	effect	profile	of	such	treatments.

Summary
GW	has	made	strong	progress	in	2012.	We	are	
pleased	with	the	significant	growth	of	Sativex	
in-market	sales	and	look	forward	to	further	
launches	in	up	to	12	countries	in	Europe	next	
year.	In	addition,	the	Sativex	global	Phase	III	
cancer	pain	trials	programme	is	making	good	
progress	and	we	remain	excited	about	the	
outcome	of	these	trials	and	the	prospect	for	a	
future	regulatory	submission	for	Sativex	in	the	
US	market.	Our	product	pipeline	is	showing	
great	promise	as	evidenced	by	the	encouraging	
data	reported	from	our	first	Phase	II	trial	for	
GWP42004	in	type	2	diabetes.	We	look	forward	
to	making	further	significant	progress	across	all	
aspects	of	our	business	in	2013.

Justin Gover
Managing	Director
27	November	2012

“To date, Otsuka’s 
total investment 
in GW’s research 
activities under 
this collaboration 
totals £21.8m.”

Otsuka Funded Research
GW’s	research	activities	in	the	field	of	CNS	
disorders	and	oncology	are	supported	by	
income	from	the	global	cannabinoid	research	
collaboration	with	Otsuka.	This	collaboration	
was	originally	signed	in	July	2007	with	a	three	
year	term,	and	was	extended	for	a	further	three	
years	to	June	2013.	To	date,	Otsuka’s	total	
investment	in	GW’s	research	activities	under	
this	collaboration	totals	£21.8m.	

Cancer
A	major	focus	of	the	GW-Otsuka	research	
collaboration	lies	in	the	area	of	cancer	treatment.	
Pre-clinical	studies	are	most	advanced	in	the	
specific	areas	of	glioma	and	breast	cancer.	

In	light	of	our	promising	pre-clinical	research	in	
glioma	(the	most	common	form	of	brain	cancer),	
GW	has	received	interest	from	clinicians	in	
conducting	an	early	proof	of	concept	clinical	
trial.	A	Phase	Ib/IIa	study	is	due	to	commence	in	
2013	which	will	evaluate	GW	cannabinoids	in	
combination	with	temozolomide	in	patients	with	
recurrent	glioblastoma,	the	most	common	form	
of	brain	cancer.

We	have	identified	the	putative	mechanism	
of	action	for	cannabinoids	in	glioma,	where	
autophagy	and	programmed	cell	death	are	
stimulated	via	inhibition	of	the	akt/mTORC1	
axis.	In	vivo	studies	have	shown	cannabinoids	
to	have	a	synergistic	effect	with	temozolomide,	
a	standard	treatment	for	glioma.

GW	has	also	generated	promising	pre-clinical	
research	evaluating	cannabinoids	in	the	
treatment	of	breast	cancer.	Efforts	are	now	
focused	on	identifying	the	precise	molecular	
mechanism	of	action	of	cannabinoids	in	breast	
cancer	and	to	define	the	optimum	cannabinoid	
treatment	regimen.

Neuroscience
The	second	major	area	of	focus	in	the	GW-
Otsuka	research	collaboration	lies	in	nervous	
system	disorders,	primarily	epilepsy	and	
psychiatric	illness.	

In	the	area	of	epilepsy,	a	lead	candidate,	
GWP42006,	has	been	identified	and	is	
supported	by	strong	intellectual	property.	
Additional	confirmatory	pre-clinical	tests	are	
under	way	prior	to	progression	into	clinical	
trials.	Plans	are	now	in	place	for	GWP42006	
to	enter	Phase	I	clinical	trials	during	2013.	

GWP42006	has	shown	the	ability	to	treat	seizures	
in	models	of	epilepsy	with	significantly	fewer	side	
effects	than	existing	anti-epileptic	drugs.	In	a	
paper	published	in	September	2012	in	the	British	
Journal	of	Pharmacology	by	scientists	at	the	
University	of	Reading,	GWP42006	was	reported	
to	have	the	potential	to	prevent	more	seizures,	
with	few	side	effects	such	as	uncontrollable	
shaking,	caused	by	many	existing	anti-epileptic	

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201222

Finance Director’s  
Review

GW is pleased to report a healthy set of 
financial results for the year and a strong 
cash position.

Adam George
Finance	Director

Revenue Analysis £m

Analysis of R&D Spend £m

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

§ Licensing Fees 
§ R&D Fees

§ Sativex Sales
§ Milestones

2011

2012

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

§ GW-funded R&D 

§ Partner-funded R&D

2011

2012

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012“Total revenues, 
at £33.1m, were 
£3.5m higher 
than the £29.6m 
recorded in 2011.”

23

Revenues
Total	revenues,	at	£33.1m,	were	£3.5m	higher	
than	the	£29.6m	recorded	in	2011.	This	reflects	
increased	milestone	income	and	increased	R&D	
fees	from	our	Sativex®	development	partners.

Milestone	income	of	£9.8m	(2011:	£5.3m)	
resulted	from	an	amendment	to	the	Almirall	
license	agreement	signed	in	March	2012.	In	
return	for	GW’s	agreement	to	reduce	the	Sativex	
supply	price	for	an	agreed	period	and	in	return	
for	waiving	certain	future	cancer	pain	related	
milestones,	Almirall	agreed	to	pay	a	milestone	
of	£9.8m	upon	achievement	of	a	Phase	III	cancer	
pain	patient	recruitment	target.	The	target	was	
achieved	in	April	and	the	payment	was	
subsequently	received	in	May	2012.	The	prior	
year	milestone	income	comprised	a	£2.5m	
milestone	from	Almirall	upon	achievement	of	
Spanish	pricing	approval,	£0.25m	upon	German	
approval	and	£2.55m	milestone	from	Otsuka	
upon	the	commencement	of	Phase	III	cancer	
pain	trials.	

Sativex	has	made	good	progress	during	the	year.	
The	volume	of	Sativex	10ml	vials	sold	in-market	
by	our	partners	increased	year	on	year	by	108%.	
This	principally	reflects	the	growth	achieved	by	
Almirall	in	Germany	and	Spain	during	2012.	
We	can	expect	continued	growth	as	Almirall	
conduct	commercial	launches	in	up	to	12	new	
countries	during	2013.

GW’s	Sativex	sales	revenues	are	based	on	the	
volume	of	vials	delivered	to	our	commercial	
partners	during	the	financial	year.	As	there	were	
no	major	new	territory	launches	in	this	period,	
our	Sativex	revenues	decreased	to	£2.5m	(2011:	
£4.4m).	This	is	in	line	with	guidance	provided	at	
the	time	of	our	interim	results.	We	delivered	
substantial	launch	stocks	to	Almirall	in	the	
second	half	of	2011	which	have	been	used	to	
meet	in-market	demand	during	2012.	As	partner	
inventory	levels	reduce,	we	can	expect	Sativex	
deliveries	to	result	in	an	upward	trend	in	GW’s	
revenues	as	in-market	sales	continue	to	grow.	

License,	collaboration	and	technical	access	fee	
revenues	of	£1.3m	(2011:	£3.8m)	consist	of	
revenue	recognised	from	signature	and	technical	
access	fees	received	from	Almirall,	Otsuka	and	
Novartis	in	previous	years.	The	£2.5m	reduction	
compared	to	2011	reflects	the	fact	that	2011	
included	a	£1.9m	technical	access	fee,	received	
upon	signature	of	the	new	Novartis	license	in	that	
year.	The	remaining	£0.6m	reduction	is	due	to	a	
reduction	in	the	rate	of	income	recognition	on	the	
Otsuka	license	fee.	This	was	being	recognised	at	
the	rate	of	£1.1m	per	year	for	the	first	4.5	years	of	
the	license	agreement,	reducing	to	£0.3m	per	year	
for	the	remainder	of	the	license.	This	step-down	
in	the	rate	of	income	recognition	took	effect	from	
the	start	of	the	2012	financial	year.

Research	and	development	fee	revenues	have	
increased	to	£19.5m	(2011:	£16.0m).	These	
fees	consist	of	research	and	development	costs	
incurred	by	GW	and	charged	to	Otsuka	under	
the	Sativex	US	development	agreement,	totalling	
£14.1m	(2011:	£10.8m)	and	the	global	
cannabinoid	research	collaboration	agreement	
of	£5.4m	(2011:	£5.2m).	The	growth	in	US	
development	fees	reflects	progress	with	patient	
recruitment	into	the	Phase	III	cancer	pain	trials,	
which	are	wholly	funded	by	Otsuka.

Research & Development Expenditure
Total	research	and	development	expenditure,	
which	is	expensed	as	incurred,	was	£27.6m	
(2011:	£22.7m),	of	which	£19.5m	(2011:	
£16.0m)	was	funded	by	Otsuka.	Otsuka	
fundeded	research	includes	both	the	Sativex	
Phase	III	cancer	pain	programme	as	well	as	
pre-clinical	research	in	CNS	and	oncology.	
GW-funded	research	totalled	£8.1m	(2011:	
£6.7m)	representing	29%	(2011:	29%)	of	
overall	research	and	development	spend.	

Research	and	development	expenditure	is	stated	
net	of	a	£1.3m	credit	(2011:	£0.4m	credit)	arising	
from	the	reduction	to	our	provision	for	inventories	
in	recognition	of	the	increasing	net	realisable	
value	of	our	surplus	inventory	as	our	Sativex	
forward	sales	estimates	increase.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201224

Finance 
Director’s 
Review 
continued

£29.3m

 The Group held cash and 
short-term deposits of £29.3m 
at 30 September 2012.

Segmental Results
In	note	3	to	the	financial	statements	a	segmental	
analysis	of	our	business	is	provided	showing	the	
income	statement	split	into	the	three	business	
segments	of	the	Group:	Sativex	Commercial,	
Sativex	R&D	and	Pipeline	R&D.	

The	Sativex	Commercial	business	generated	a	
contribution	of	£14.1m	(2011:	£12.5m)	from	
product	sales,	milestones	and	license	fee	
revenues	received	from	commercial	partners.

Investment	in	Sativex	R&D	was	£18.4m	(2011:	
£14.8m),	of	which	£14.1m	(£10.8m)	was	Otsuka	
funded	Phase	III	cancer	pain	expenditure.	The	
remaining	£4.3m	(2011:	£4.0m)	was	funded	
by	GW.	

Cash Flow
The	Group	recorded	a	net	cash	inflow	for	the	
year	of	£1.0m	(2011:	£3.1m	inflow).	Receipts	
include	£9.8m	of	milestone	income	(2011:	
£5.3m)	from	Almirall	and	the	exercise	of	share	
options	by	GW	staff	which	generated	proceeds	
of	£0.1m	(2011:	£1.4m).

Capital	expenditure	of	£1.3m	(2011:	£0.9m)	
consisted	mainly	of	upgrades	to	our	research	
and	development	premises	and	new	laboratory	
and	manufacturing	equipment.

Financial Position
The	Group’s	net	funds	comprise	cash	balances	
together	with	amounts	held	on	short-term	
deposit	totalling	£29.3m	(2011:	£28.3m).

Investment	in	Pipeline	R&D	was	£9.9m	(2011:	
£7.8m),	of	which	Otsuka	funded	£5.4m	(2011:	
£5.2m).	The	remaining	£4.5m	(2011:	£2.6m)	
was	funded	by	GW.	

Inventory	of	£3.5m	(2011:	£1.4m)	consists	of	
finished	goods,	consumable	items	and	work	in	
progress	and	is	stated	net	of	a	realisable	value	
provision	of	£2.1m	(2011:£3.4m).	

Expenditure
Management	and	administration	expenditure	
increased	to	£3.7m	(2011:	£3.3m)	This	includes	
£0.6m	(2011:	£0.4m)	of	share-based	payment	
charges.	Interest	income	of	£0.2m	in	2012	(2011:	
£0.3m)	reflects	the	combined	effects	of	an	
increasing	cash	balance	and	improving	rates	of	
interest.	GW	continues	to	take	a	conservative	
approach	to	managing	counterparty	credit	risk	
on	its	cash	deposits.

Taxation
The	Group	plans	to	submit	a	research	and	
development	tax	credit	claim	for	the	year	ended	
30	September	2012	of	£0.8m	(2011:	£nil).	
A	taxation	recoverable	debtor	of	£0.8m	has	
therefore	been	recognised	on	the	September	
2012	balance	sheet.	

The	£1.2m	tax	credit	shown	in	the	2012	income	
statement	includes	£0.4m	successfully	claimed	in	
respect	of	a	2011	claim,	plus	the	accrued	credit	of	
£0.8m	in	respect	of	2012.	This	2012	credit	
remains	subject	to	the	agreement	of	HMRC.	

GW	welcomes	the	forthcoming	implementation	
of	the	Government’s	patent	box	scheme.	Under	
this	scheme	we	expect	most	of	GW’s	future	
product	revenues,	milestone	income	and	license	
fees	to	be	eligible	for	the	10%	rate	of	taxation.	
The	combination	of	this	low	rate	of	taxation	and	
the	enhanced	expenditure	reliefs	available	under	
the	R&D	tax	credit	scheme	should	result	in	a	
long-term	low	rate	of	future	corporation	tax.	

Profitability
	Pre-tax	profit	for	the	year	was	£1.2m	(2011:	
£2.5m).	This	is	in	line	with	guidance.	This	
was	further	increased	by	the	research	and	
development	tax	credit,	resulting	in	a	post-tax	
profit	for	the	year	of	£2.5m	(2011:	£2.7m).

This	provision	is	calculated	in	accordance	with	
the	inventory	accounting	policy	set	out	in	note	2.	

Trade	and	other	receivables	at	30	September	
2012	were	£1.6m	(2011:	£2.3m),	consisting	of	
£0.8m	(2011:	£1.5m)	of	trade	debtors	(from	sales	
of	Sativex)	and	£0.8m	(2011:	£0.8m)	of	other	
receivables	and	prepayments.

At	30	September	2012	the	Group	had	received	
£1.1m	(2011:	£2.1m)	of	advance	payments	for	
research	activities	to	be	carried	out	on	behalf	of	
Otsuka	in	the	next	six	months.	This	has	been	
disclosed	as	an	advance	payment	received,	
within	deferred	revenue	due	within	one	year.	

Deferred	license,	collaboration	and	technical	
access	fee	income	amounts	to	£11.5m	(2011:	
£12.7m)	and	represents	the	balance	of	non-
refundable	Sativex	license	agreement	and	technical	
access	fees.	£1.4m	(2011:	£1.3m)	is	shown	as	due	
within	one	year	and	£10.1m	(2011:	£11.4m)	is	
shown	as	due	after	more	than	one	year.	These	will	
be	recognised	as	revenue	in	future	periods.

Average	headcount	of	the	Group	for	the	year	was	
177	(2011:	152).	The	increase	in	staff	numbers	
reflects	the	expansion	of	operations	necessary	to	
support	the	commercial	growth	of	Sativex	and	the	
increasing	levels	of	research	and	development	
activity	for	both	Sativex	and	our	growing	pipeline	
of	promising	product	candidates.

2013 Guidance: 
Sales 
As	Sativex	increases	its	market	penetration	and	
undergoes	further	launches,	GW	can	expect	to	
look	forward	to	continued	growth	in	in-market	
sales	by	our	commercial	partners.	GW’s	sales	
revenues	are	generated	as	sales	of	bulk	product	to	
licensing	partners.	As	a	result	and	as	previously	

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201225

“ We expect  
further product 
approvals and 
commercial 
launches in Italy 
and up to 12 
new European 
countries 
during 2013.”

indicated,	the	rate	of	GW’s	product	sales	growth	
in	the	next	few	years	is	likely	to	be	influenced	by	a	
variety	of	factors,	including	the	timing	of	new	
commercial	launches,	the	timing	of	delivery	of	
batches	to	partners,	partner	stock-holding	
policies,	pricing	and	reimbursement	discussions	
and	the	rate	of	market	uptake.	Until	the	pattern	of	
batch	deliveries	becomes	regular,	there	is	likely	to	
be	variability	in	the	level	of	GW’s	Sativex	sales	
from	one	period	to	the	next.	

Having	successfully	achieved	a	large	number	
of	additional	approvals	in	Europe	during	2012,	
we	expect	further	commercial	launches	in	up	
to	12	European	countries	during	2013.	These	
launches	are	dependant	on	the	conclusion	of	
pricing	and	reimbursement	procedures	in	
each	country.

R&D Spend 
As	a	result	of	GW’s	strategic	decision	to	advance	
further	pipeline	product	candidates	into	clinical	
development,	we	expect	GW-funded	R&D	
spend	for	the	coming	year	to	increase	by	
10–20%	over	2012.	

Milestones 
In	early	2013,	Sativex	pricing	approval	in	Italy	is	
expected	to	result	in	a	£0.25m	milestone	payment	
from	Almirall.	No	other	milestones	from	existing	
Sativex	license	agreements	are	currently	expected	
during	the	2013	financial	year.	

Profitability
In	the	last	few	years,	significant	milestone	
income	receipts	from	Sativex	agreements	have	
led	the	Group	reporting	small	pre-tax	profits.	
In	line	with	market	expectations,	we	are	not	
expecting	significant	milestones	receipts	in	2013	
and	this	factor,	together	with	our	increasing	
R&D	spend	in	the	pipeline,	leads	us	to	expect	to	
report	a	loss	for	the	2013	financial	year.	This	is	
consistent	with	market	expectations	and	is	in	
accordance	with	our	strategic	plan	to	create	
long-term	value	from	our	pipeline	of	products	by	
investing	in	R&D.	It	should	be	noted	however	
that	a	loss	in	2013	should	enable	the	Group	to	
claim	an	R&D	tax	credit	for	the	year.

Adam George
Finance	Director
27	November	2012

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201226

Board of Directors

1

2

3

4

1. Justin Gover BSc, MBA
Managing Director Aged 41.
Mr	Gover	has	been	Managing	Director	of	GW	since	January	1999.	
In	this	time,	he	has	been	responsible	for	managing	the	Group’s	
operations,	equity	financing	and	business	development	activities.	
Mr	Gover	has	16	years’	experience	in	the	biotech	industry	and	
was	previously	Head	of	Corporate	Affairs	at	Ethical	Holdings	plc,	
the	NASDAQ-quoted	drug	delivery	company.	In	this	role,	he	
was	responsible	for	the	company’s	strategic	corporate	activities,	
including	mergers	and	acquisitions,	strategic	investments,	equity	
financing	and	investor	relations.	He	holds	a	MBA	from	the	
INSEAD	business	school.

2. Dr Geoffrey W Guy BSc, MB BS, MRCS Eng, LRCP, 
LMSSA, Dip Pharm Med
Executive Chairman Aged 58.
Dr	Guy	founded	Ethical	Holdings	plc,	in	1985	and	led	that	
company	as	Chairman	and	Chief	Executive	to	its	NASDAQ	
flotation	in	1993	before	leaving	in	1997.	He	received	3i’s	“Venturer	
of	the	Year”	award	in	the	science	and	technology	category.	In	1990,	
Dr	Guy	co-founded	the	plant-medicines	company	that	became	
Phytopharm	plc,	of	which	he	was	Chairman	until	1997.	Dr	Guy	
served	as	Director	of	Clinical	Development	at	Napp	Laboratories	
from	1983	to	1985	and	as	International	Clinical	Research	
Co-ordinator	at	Laboratories	Pierre	Fabre	from	1981	to	1983.	

3. Adam George, BSc, ACA
Finance Director Aged 42.
Adam	George	joined	GW	in	2007	and	was	Group	Financial	
Controller	until	1	June	2012,	at	which	time	he	joined	the	Board	as	
Finance	Director.	Adam	also	acts	as	Company	Secretary,	a	role	he	
has	played	since	he	first	joined	the	company.	Prior	to	joining	GW,	
Adam	occupied	several	senior	finance	roles	within	both	listed	and	
privately	owned	high	growth	businesses.	From	2004	to	2007,	
Adam	was	Finance	Director	of	Believe	It	Group	Limited	(now	
4Com	plc),	a	telecommunications	service	provider,	having	been	
Group	Financial	Controller	from	2001	to	2004.	

4. Dr Stephen Wright MA, MD, FRCPE, FFPM
Research & Development Director Aged 60.
Dr	Wright	joined	GW’s	senior	management	team	in	January	
2004	as	Research	&	Development	Director	and	was	promoted	
to	the	Board	in	March	2005.	Dr	Wright	has	more	than	20	years	of	
experience	in	medicines	development.	He	joined	GW	from	Ipsen,	
where	he	was	Senior	Vice	President	of	Clinical	Research	&	
Development	and	a	member	of	the	UK	Board	of	Directors.	In	this	
role	he	led	teams	responsible	for	regulatory	success	in	both	the	US	
and	EU.	Prior	to	this,	he	was	Venture	Head	of	Neuroscience	at	
Abbott	Laboratories,	based	in	the	US,	and	was	also	formerly	
Associate	Medical	Director	at	Glaxo	in	the	UK.	

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201227

5

6

7

8

5. James Noble MA, FCA
Non-executive Deputy Chairman Aged 53.
James	Noble	has	served	as	our	Non-executive	Director	since	
January	2007.	Mr	Noble	has	extensive	experience	in	the	biotech	
industry	and	currently	serves	as	Chief	Executive	Officer	of	
Immunocore	Limited	and	Adaptimmune	Limited,	two	companies	
involved	in	T	cell	receptor	technology.	Mr	Noble	was	previously	
Chief	Executive	Officer	of	Avidex	Limited,	a	private	biotech	
company.	Mr	Noble	qualified	as	a	chartered	accountant	with	
Price	Waterhouse	in	1980	and	then	spent	seven	years	at	
investment	bank	Kleinwort	Benson	Limited,	where	he	became	a	
Director	in	1990.	He	then	joined	British	Biotech	plc	as	Chief	
Financial	Officer	and	secured	the	company’s	IPO	on	NASDAQ	
and	London	in	1992.	From	1997	to	2001,	he	held	numerous	
non-executive	director	positions,	including	at	PowderJect	
Pharmaceuticals	plc,	Oxford	GlycoSciences	plc	(OGS),	MediGene	
AG,	and	Advanced	Medical	Solutions	plc.	Mr	Noble	graduated	
from	the	University	of	Oxford	in	1980.	

6. Chris Tovey, BSc
Chief Operating Officer Aged 47.
Mr	Tovey	joined	GW	in	October	2012	in	the	newly	created	position	
of	Chief	Operating	Officer.	He	has	gained	a	wealth	of	commercial	
experience	from	more	than	25	years	in	the	pharmaceutical	industry	
and	was	most	recently	Vice	President	Global	Marketing	Operations	
at	UCB	Pharmaceuticals,	responsible	for	worldwide	marketing	
activities	on	a	portfolio	of	UCB	products	generating	over	€2	billion	
in	annual	sales.	Prior	to	joining	UCB,	Chris	was	Vice	President	
Managing	Director	UK	&	Ireland	at	Nabi	Biopharmaceuticals,	
a	US	based	biopharmaceutical	company.	Before	joining	Nabi,	
Chris	spent	18	years	at	GlaxoSmithKline,	in	senior	commercial	
roles	in	both	the	European	and	UK	organisations.	

7. Richard Forrest BSc
Non-executive Director Aged 64.
Mr	Forrest	has	30	years’	commercial	experience	in	the	international	
pharmaceutical	industry.	This	included	19	years	with	the	Rhone-
Poulenc	Rorer	Group	(now	Sanofi-Aventis),	where	his	most	senior	
position	was	Senior	Vice-President,	Europe.	His	roles	included	
responsibility	for	General	Management,	Marketing	and	Sales	and	
Business	Development	in	Europe	and	Rest	of	the	World	(South	
America,	Africa,	Middle	East	and	South-East	Asia).	Mr	Forrest	was	
also	a	member	of	the	global	committees	responsible	for	worldwide	
operational	performance,	as	well	as	R&D	portfolio	decisions	
and	licensing.	More	recently	he	was	Chief	Operating	Officer	of	
Novuspharma,	an	Italian	biotech	company,	prior	to	its	merger		
with	Cell	Therapeutics	Inc.	(USA).

8. Thomas Lynch BSc (Econ), FCA
Non-executive Director Aged 55.
Mr	Lynch	most	recently	served	as	Chairman	and	Chief	Executive	
Officer	of	Amarin	Corporation	plc,	a	NASDAQ	listed	company	
specialising	in	cardiovascular	disease,	until	December	2009.	
From	1993	to	2004,	Mr	Lynch	worked	in	a	variety	of	capacities	
in	Elan	Corporation	plc,	including	Chief	Financial	Officer	and	
Executive	Vice-President,	as	well	as	Vice-Chairman.	In	1994,	
Mr	Lynch	founded	a	company	which	became	Warner	Chilcott	
plc,	of	which	he	was	a	Director	until	1999,	and	from	then	until	
2002	served	as	a	Director	of	Galen	plc,	which	acquired	Warner	
Chilcott	in	1999.	Mr	Lynch	currently	serves	as	a	Director	of	the	
IDA	Ireland	(an	Irish	government	investment	agency);	senior	
independent	Director	of	ICON	plc	(clinical	research);	Profectus	
BioSciences	Inc.,	(immunological	diseases);	and	is	Chairman	
of		Chronetech	AB	(infectious	diseases).

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201228
GW Pharmaceuticals plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Directors’ Report

The Directors present their report and the audited financial statements for the Company and for the Group for the financial year ended 
30 September 2012. 

Principal Activity and Business Review 
The principal activity of the Group is the research, development and commercialisation of a range of cannabinoid prescription 
medicines to meet patient needs in a wide range of medical conditions.

A review of the results for the year and of future developments in the business is given in the Chairman’s Statement, Managing 
Director’s Review and in the Finance Director’s Review, which form part of this Annual Report. 

The subsidiary undertakings principally affecting the results and net assets of the Group are listed in note 28 to the financial statements.

Results and Dividends
The consolidated income statement for the year is set out on page 42. The Group’s profit for the financial year after taxation was £2.5m 
(2011: £2.7m).

The Directors do not recommend the payment of a dividend (2011: £nil).

Group Research and Development Activities
The research and development undertaken by the Group amounted to £27.6m (2011: £22.7m), all of which was expensed during the 
year. This included £19.5m (2011: £16.0m) of research and development expenditure which was carried out under contract for and 
was fully funded by our development partners.

Substantial Shareholdings
On 27 November 2012 the Company had been notified, in accordance with the Companies Act 2006, of the following interests in the 
ordinary share capital of the Company:

Prudential plc group of companies
Dr Geoffrey W Guy
Dr Brian Whittle
Preston L Parish Trust
Mr Justin Gover

Number of 
shares held 
held

18,861,389
17,187,654
8,087,491
6,095,685
3,983,398

%

14.1
12.9
6.1
4.7
3.0

Share Capital
Information relating to changes to the issued share capital during the year is given in note 20 to the financial statements.

The Group is funded entirely by ordinary share capital and has no debt (2011: £7,000). 

Directors and Their Interests
Details of the beneficial interests of Directors in the ordinary shares of the Company are disclosed within the Director’s Remuneration 
Report on page 35.

Details of the Directors’ share options and service contracts are shown in the Directors’ Remuneration Report. Biographical details 
of the Directors are given on pages 26 and 27. 

In accordance with the Articles of Association of the Company, James Noble and Richard Forrest will retire at the forthcoming Annual 
General Meeting and, being eligible, James Noble offers himself for re-election. After six years of service Richard Forrest has chosen not to 
seek reappointment for a third three-year term and will therefore step down from the Board on 18 January 2013. In addition, having both 
been appointed to the Board since the last AGM, Adam George and Chris Tovey will also offer themselves for election.

Principal Risks and Uncertainties
In common with other pharmaceutical development companies GW faces a number of risks and uncertainties. Internal controls are in 
place to help identify, manage and mitigate these risks. Further details of these controls are outlined on page 31 in the Chairman’s 
Corporate Governance Report. The main risks have been identified as follows:

Clinical
Clinical trials may encounter delays or fail to achieve their endpoints.

29

Regulatory
Regulatory bodies around the world have different requirements for the approval of therapeutic products. This may result in the 
restriction of indication, denial of approval or demands for additional data.

Legislative
GW’s lead product is a controlled drug and as such is subject to both national and international legislation, which can change at any time.

Manufacturing
GW may encounter problems in its manufacturing process which may delay product development programmes or restrict the 
commercial quantities of product that can be made.

Marketing and Commercialisation
Following regulatory approval, GW’s products may not achieve commercial success or may be subject to competition.
Reimbursement agencies may not agree to cover the full cost of an approved product. GW is reliant upon its commercial licensing 
partners to actively market Sativex within their respective territories.

Safety
During post-marketing surveillance, quality, safety or efficacy issues may emerge which may result in the withdrawal or restriction of 
the product licence.

Intellectual Property
The Group may not be able to secure and maintain the intellectual property protection for its products.

Funding
The Group may require access to additional funding in the future. If it fails to obtain such funding the Group may need to delay or 
scale back some of its research and development programmes or the commercialisation of some of its products.

Risk in Relation to the use of Financial Instruments
The Group is exposed to a number of financial risks, including credit risk, liquidity risk, market price risk and exchange rate risk. It is 
the Group’s policy that no speculative trading in financial instruments shall be undertaken.

Credit Risk
The Group’s principal financial assets are cash and short-term money market investments. Risk is minimised through an investment 
policy restricting the investment of surplus cash to interest bearing deposits principally held with the major UK banking groups and 
with UK subsidiaries of banking groups with high credit ratings.

Trade receivables are concentrated to a small number of large customers, where the risk of default is low.

Liquidity Risk
This risk is minimised by placing surplus funds in a range of low risk cash deposits and short-term liquid investments for periods up to 
365 days and at call. This portfolio of deposits is managed to ensure that a rolling programme of maturity dates is managed in 
accordance with Group expenditure plans in order to ensure available liquid cash funds when required.

Market Price Risk
Market price risk primarily comprises interest rate exposure risk, which is managed by maintaining a rolling programme of varying 
deposit maturity dates, up to a maximum of 365 days, on a breakable deposit basis. The majority of funds are deposited for terms of less 
than 90 days. This allows the Group to react to rate changes within a reasonable timeframe and to mitigate pricing risk accordingly. 

Exchange Rate Risk
The Group’s principal functional currency is Pounds Sterling (“GBP”). However, during the year the Group had exposure to 
Euros (“€”), US Dollars (“US$”) and Canadian Dollars (“CAD”). The Group’s policy is to maintain natural hedges, where possible, 
by matching revenue and receipts with expenditure.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201230

Directors’ Report continued

Going Concern
The financial position of the Group, its cash flows and liquidity position are fully described in the Finance Director’s Review on pages 
22 to 25. The Group’s business activities and the key factors affecting the likely development of the business in 2013 are described in 
the Managing Director’s Review on pages 16 to 21. In addition, the key policies for managing financial risks are set out above.

Having reviewed cash flow forecasts for the 12 month period following the date of signing the financial statements, the Directors have 
a reasonable expectation that the Company and the Group have adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the 
foreseeable future. Thus, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing these financial statements despite the current 
uncertain economic climate.

Charitable and Political Contributions
The Group made charitable donations of £50,000 during the year (2011: £nil).

No political donations were made in either year.

Supplier Payment Policy
It is the Group’s policy to settle debts with its creditors on a timely basis, taking into consideration the terms and conditions offered by 
each supplier. The number of accounts payable days outstanding at the year end, based on the average monthly outstanding Group 
accounts payable balances, was 31 days (2011: 43 days). 

Employee Consultation
The Group places considerable value on the involvement of its employees. They are regularly briefed on the Group’s activities. Their 
contribution is a key element to the future success of the Group and accordingly, from time to time, some employees are given the 
opportunity to participate in the Company’s share capital by joining one or more of the share option schemes operated by the 
Company. Details of the share options issued under these plans are set out in note 21 to the financial statements. Equal opportunity is 
given to all employees regardless of their age, sex, colour, race, disability, religion or ethnic origin.

Disabled Employees
Applications for employment by disabled persons are always fully considered, bearing in mind the aptitudes of the applicant 
concerned. In the event of members of staff becoming disabled, every effort is made to ensure that their employment with the Group 
continues and that appropriate training is arranged. It is the policy of the Group that the training, career development and promotion 
of disabled persons should, as far as possible, be identical with that of other employees.

Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting will be held at 2pm on 18 January 2013 at Porton Down Science Park, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ.

Auditors and Audit Information
Each of the persons who is a Director at the date of approval of this Annual Report confirms that: 
(a) so far as the Director is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Company’s auditors is unaware; and 
(b) the Director has taken all the steps that he ought to have taken as a Director in order to make himself aware of any relevant audit 

information and to establish that the Company’s auditor is aware of that information. 

This confirmation is given and should be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of s418 of the Companies Act 2006.

Deloitte LLP have expressed their willingness to continue in office as auditor and a resolution to reappoint them will be proposed at 
the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

By order of the Board

Adam George
Company Secretary
27 November 2012 

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201231

Chairman’s Corporate Governance Report

As a company that has securities which are traded on the Alternative Investment Market (“AIM”), we are not required to comply with 
the principles of the UK Corporate Governance Code. However, the Board has sought to robustly apply the principles of the Code as 
far as practicable given the size of the Company and the nature of its operations. 

In this report I will explain how we have managed our corporate governance during 2012 and how we intend to maintain 
practices consistent with the requirements of the Code in future. I will also identify those provisions of the Code with which we 
are not fully compliant. 

Our Strategy, Business Model and Approach to Risk
The nature of our business is to take product development risk in order to create valuable medicines targeted to address areas of 
significant unmet medical need. We invest our efforts and financial resources into the process of identifying suitable pharmaceutical 
product candidates which we then take through an extensive development process. This is an inherently risky process. Not all of our 
product candidates will progress successfully to become marketable products. However, our in-house development expertise and 
unique knowledge of the cannabinoids with which we work should allow us to develop valuable products in an efficient manner that 
will significantly reduce, but which cannot eliminate this risk in future.

We manage the extent of retained risk by:
•	 when appropriate, licensing our products to pharmaceutical partners with the expertise, resources and contacts to market our 

approved products, reducing the need for investment in sales infrastructure, allowing us to focus upon our own areas of expertise;
•	 managing the development process of our products, in conjunction with our partners, to ensure optimal management of each stage 
of development, utilising our in-house resource wherever possible to ensure compliance with good clinical practice, maintenance of 
our knowledge base and close control;

•	 seeking funding from partners for early stage research by entering into collaboration agreements, sharing the financial risks 

associated with our pipeline development;

•	 negotiating licensing terms with partners that require our partners to fund most of the latter stages of product development, 

Phase III trials, indication expansion and product lifecycle management; and

•	 controlling the manufacturing of our products, in house, to ensure that quality is maintained, processes optimised and 

manufacturing expertise is maintained within GW.

All of the above result in a business model that allows us to create value by developing a broad pipeline of potential future products 
whilst sharing the financial risk with our partners. By maintaining close internal control over most aspects of research and 
development, product manufacture and regulatory compliance we mitigate the other risks associated with our business by continuing 
to maintain a robust internal controls process and risk management framework. 

Having carried out a review of the level of risks that we are taking in pursuit of the Group’s strategy, the Board is satisfied that the level 
of retained risk is appropriate and commensurate with the financial rewards that should result from achievement of our strategy.

The Board of Directors
The Company is controlled by the Board of Directors which currently comprises five Executive and three independent non-executive 
Directors. The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the Group. Its aim is to represent the interests of the Group’s 
shareholders and to provide leadership and control in order to ensure the growth and long-term success of the business. 

Provision A2.1 of the Code recommends separation of the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive. Due to the current size of the 
Group, it is the Board’s view that the existing arrangement, whereby I continue to provide leadership to the Board in my role as 
Executive Chairman, continues to be in the best interests of the Group. The Board is satisfied that the presence of Mr James Noble, 
Mr Thomas Lynch and Mr Richard Forrest, who are all considered by the Board to be independent Directors provides sufficient 
independent influence to ensure that the Board is balanced and that good corporate governance practice is maintained.

Provision B1.2 of the Code states that, except for smaller companies, at least half the Board, excluding the Chairman, should comprise 
independent non-executive Directors. As a smaller company, with three independent non-executive Directors, the Group is fully 
compliant with this provision of the Code.

Mr James Noble acts as the Company Deputy Chairman and senior independent non-executive.

All Directors are able to take independent advice in furtherance of their duties if necessary.

The Board is responsible to shareholders for the proper management of the Group. Board meetings are held at least six times a year to 
set the overall direction and strategy of the Group and to review financial and operating performance. Financial policy and budgets, 
including capital expenditure, are approved and monitored by the Board. All key strategic decisions are subject to Board approval. 
The Company Secretary is responsible for ensuring that Board procedures are followed and that applicable rules and regulations are 
complied with.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201232

Chairman’s Corporate Governance Report 
continued

Directors are subject to election by shareholders at the first opportunity after their appointment. In addition, one third of the 
Directors are subject to retirement by rotation at each Annual General Meeting. The Board have considered the recommendation 
within Provision B7.1 of the UK Corporate Governance Code, aimed at FTSE350 companies and above, that all Directors should 
be reappointed annually. However the Board has concluded that it is not appropriate for a company of GW’s size to adopt annual 
reappointment. For the foreseeable future we will continue with the existing practice of retirement by rotation every three years.

During the year, there were six full meetings of the Board of Directors. All members of the Board of Directors attended each of the six 
meetings, with the exception of James Noble and Stephen Wright, who each attended five Board meetings.

Committees of the Board
The detailed terms of reference of each of the Board committees can be found on the Group website at www.gwpharm.com.

Remuneration Committee 
The Remuneration Committee comprises all the non-executive Directors under the chairmanship of Mr Thomas Lynch. It reviews, 
inter alia, the performance of the Executive Directors and sets the scale and structure of their remuneration and the basis of their 
service agreements with due regard to the interests of the shareholders. The Remuneration Committee also determines the allocation 
of awards under the Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) to Executive Directors. No Director has a service agreement with a notice 
period exceeding one year.

During the year, there were three full meetings of the Remuneration Committee. All members of the Committee attended these meetings.

It is a policy of the Remuneration Committee that no individual participates in discussions or decisions concerning his own remuneration.

The Directors’ Remuneration Report is set out on pages 35 to 39.

Audit Committee 
The Audit Committee comprises all the non-executive Directors under the chairmanship of James Noble. It meets at least three times 
per year and overviews the monitoring of the Group’s internal controls, accounting policies and financial reporting and provides a 
forum through which the external auditors report. It meets at least once a year with the external auditors without executive Board 
members present.

The Audit Committee is also responsible for overseeing the activities of the external auditors including their appointment, 
reappointment, or removal as well as monitoring of their objectivity and independence. The Committee also considers the fees paid 
to the external auditors and whether the fee levels for non-audit services, individually and in aggregate, relative to the audit fee are 
appropriate so as not to undermine their independence.

James Noble is a qualified chartered accountant with recent financial experience. The Board is satisfied that his expertise ensures 
compliance with Code 3.1 of the UK Corporate Governance Code, whereby at least one member of the Committee must have recent 
and relevant financial experience.

During the year, there were three full meetings of the Audit Committee which were fully attended.

Nominations Committee 
The Nominations Committee comprises Mr James Noble and Mr Richard Forrest, under my chairmanship. It meets at least twice a 
year and reviews the structure, size and composition of the Board, supervising the selection and appointment process in relation to 
Directors, making recommendations to the Board with regard to any changes, using an external search consultancy if considered 
appropriate. For new appointments, which are made on merit, against objective criteria and with due regard to the benefits of diversity 
on the Board, including gender, the Nominations Committee will make a recommendation to the Board. Members of the Board then 
have the opportunity to meet the candidate prior to approving the appointment. Once appointed, the Nominations Committee 
oversees the induction of new Directors as well as ensuring that the Board as a whole receive the appropriate training during the 
course of the year in order to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to operate effectively.

During 2012, the Nominations Committee oversaw the appointment of Adam George as Finance Director, following the retirement 
of David Kirk. As an internal candidate, with five years’ experience of working as GW’s Company secretary and Group financial 
controller, Adam was considered to be the most appropriate candidate for this role. At the same time, having closely considered the job 
descriptions and responsibilities of each member of the Executive team, the Nominations Committee recommended to the Board that 
a new Executive role of Chief Operations Officer should be recruited. An external search agency was engaged, resulting in the 
appointment of Chris Tovey, who joined the Company subsequent to the year end on 1 October 2012.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012 
33

The Nominations Committee also retains responsibility for the Board appraisal process whereby the performance of all Directors 
is appraised annually both on an individual basis, for the Board as a whole taking into account such factors as attendance record, 
contribution during Board meetings and the amount of time that has been dedicated to Board matters during the course of the year. 
In addition, the Nominations Committee oversees the appraisal of each of the Board sub-committees. I oversee the appraisal process, 
while my performance as Chairman is reviewed by James Noble, in his capacity as senior independent Director, taking into account 
feedback from other members of the Board. 

Provision B6.2 of the UK Corporate Governance Code recommends that the Board should consider utilising an independent third party 
to facilitate the Board appraisal process, noting that this may not be appropriate for companies smaller than FTSE350. Having considered 
this recommendation, the Board has decided that the current appraisal process is operating satisfactorily and that, in recognition of GW’s 
size, it is not considered necessary to utilise the services of an independent facilitator at this time. The Nominations Committee will 
reconsider this in future and may appoint an independent facilitator if it determines that this is appropriate.

During 2012 there have been four Nominations Committee meetings. These meetings were fully attended.

Executive Management Committees 
Operational decision making is delegated to a number of Executive Management Committees which are committees consisting of 
certain Directors and members of senior management. These Executive Management Committees meet as required and on average 
every six weeks.

Communication with Shareholders
The Board attaches great importance to effective communication with shareholders and encourages dialogue with both its institutional 
and private investors and we aim to respond promptly to all questions received verbally or in writing. Regular communication is 
maintained with all shareholders through Company announcements, the Annual Report and Accounts, Preliminary Results and the 
Interim Report. In addition the Company operates a website which can be found at www.gwpharm.com. The website contains further 
details of the Group, its products and its activities, details of regulatory announcements and Company announcements, Annual and 
Interim Reports, and details of the Company’s share price, share trading activity and graphs.

The Executive Directors regularly attend meetings with analysts and institutional shareholders throughout the year. With private 
shareholders this is not always practical. The Board has therefore sought to use the Company’s Annual General Meeting as the 
opportunity for both the Executive and the non-executive Directors to meet shareholders, after which the Board gives a presentation 
on the activities of the Group and there is also an opportunity to ask questions of all Directors on a formal and informal basis. At other 
times during the year, the non-executive members of the Board and I are available to meet with our institutional shareholders upon 
request. We welcome the opportunity to develop a mutual understanding of objectives with our shareholders.

All shareholders have at least 21 days’ notice of the Annual General Meeting.

Maintenance of a Sound System of Internal Control
The Directors have overall responsibility for ensuring that the Group maintains a system of internal control to provide them with 
reasonable assurance that the assets of the Group are safeguarded and that the shareholders’ investments are protected. The system 
includes internal controls covering financial, operational and compliance areas, and risk management. There are limitations in any 
system of internal control, which can provide reasonable but not absolute assurance with respect to the preparation of financial 
information, the safeguarding of assets and the possibility of material misstatement or loss.

During 2012 the Board has considered and reviewed the system of internal controls in place. An assessment of the major risk areas for 
the business and methods used to monitor and control them was also undertaken with a particular focus upon the changing profile of 
the risks facing the business as the commercialisation of Sativex® progresses and as our clinical efforts encompass research involving a 
much broader range of new cannabinoid product candidates in a wide range of disease areas. 

In addition to financial risk, the review covered operational, commercial, environmental, regulatory and research and development 
risks. The risk review is an ongoing process with regular review by the Board at least annually with appropriate input from the Audit 
Committee. The prime purpose of this review is to ensure that, having considered the controls that are in place to mitigate risks, the 
Board is satisfied with the residual level of risk being taken in pursuit of the Group strategy.

The key procedures designed to provide an effective system of internal control that have operated throughout the year and up to the 
date of the sign-off of this report are described below.

Control Environment 
There is an organisational structure with clearly defined lines of responsibility and delegation of accountability and authority.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201234

Chairman’s Corporate Governance Report 
continued

Risk Management 
The Group employs Directors and senior executives with the appropriate knowledge and experience for a pharmaceutical group such 
as GW Pharmaceuticals plc. A formal risk management review is performed annually as part of the process of determining the 
adequacy of the Group’s system of internal controls and risk mitigation procedures. 

Financial Information 
The Group prepares detailed budgets and working capital projections, which are approved annually by the Board and are updated 
regularly throughout the year. Detailed management accounts and working capital cash flows are prepared on a monthly basis and 
compared to budgets and projections to identify and manage any significant variances.

Management of Liquid Resources
The Board is risk averse when investing the Group’s surplus cash funds. The Group’s treasury management policy sets out strict 
procedures and limits on how surplus funds are invested.

The Board has considered it inappropriate to establish an internal audit function, given the size of the Group. However, we will review 
this decision as the operations of the Group develop.

Dr Geoffrey Guy
Executive Chairman
27 November 2012

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201235

Directors’ Remuneration Report

Introduction
Companies that have securities that trade on AIM are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of Directors’ Remuneration 
Report Regulations 2002 or to comply with the UKLA Listing Rules and the disclosure provisions under Schedule 8 of the Companies Act 
2006. However, the Remuneration Committee is committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance and has taken steps to 
comply with best practice in so far as it can be applied practically given the size of the Company and the nature of its operations.

Unaudited Information
Remuneration Report
The Board has applied the Principles of Good Governance relating to Directors’ remuneration as described below:

The Remuneration Committee
The Remuneration Committee comprises all the non-executive Directors under the chairmanship of Mr Thomas Lynch. The 
constitution and operation of the Committee is in compliance with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code. When 
setting its remuneration policy for Executive Directors the Committee gives full consideration to the provisions and principles of the 
UK Corporate Governance Code.

Remuneration Policy for Executive Directors
The remuneration policy has been designed to ensure that Executive Directors should receive appropriate incentive and reward given 
their performance, responsibility and experience. In determining this, the Remuneration Committee has regard to ensure that the 
policy aligns the interests of Executive Directors with those of the shareholders.

The Group remuneration policy for Executive Directors is to:
•	 have regard to the individuals’ experience and the nature and complexity of their work in order to pay a competitive salary that 
attracts and retains management of the highest quality, while avoiding remunerating those Directors more than is necessary;
link individual remuneration packages to the Group’s long-term performance through the award of share options, bonus schemes 
and via participation in the Group’s Long-Term Incentive Plan;

•	

•	 provide post-retirement benefits through defined contribution pension schemes; and
•	 provide employment-related benefits including the provision of life assurance and medical insurance.

Directors’ Service Contracts
It is Group policy that Executive Directors should have contracts with an indefinite term providing for a maximum of one year’s notice. 

Details of Directors’ service contracts are as follows:

Director

Executive
Geoffrey W Guy
Justin Gover
Stephen Wright
Adam George1
Chris Tovey1

Non-executive
James Noble
Richard Forrest
Thomas Lynch

Date of Contract

 Notice Period

November 2000
November 2000
March 2005
June 2012
October 2012

January 2007
March 2007
July 2010

12 months
12 months
12 months
6 months
6 months

3 months
3 months
3 months

1   Subject to the agreement of the Remuneration Committee, notice period will increase to 12 months upon completion of two years’ service as a Director. 

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201236

Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Remuneration Package for Executive Directors
Executive Directors’ remuneration packages are considered annually and comprise a number of elements, as follows: 

i) Basic Salary
Basic salaries are reviewed annually at the end of each calendar year. The review process is undertaken having regard to the 
development of the Group and the contribution that individuals will continue to make. Consideration is also given to the need to 
retain and motivate individuals and information on the salary levels in comparable organisations. In this respect the Remuneration 
Committee draws upon the findings of external salary surveys and undertakes its own research.

ii) Annual Performance Incentive
Executive Directors are eligible for an annual bonus at the discretion of the Remuneration Committee. Bonus awards are reviewed 
at the end of each calendar year and any such awards are determined by the performance of the individual and the Group as a whole 
based upon the achievement of strategic objectives set at the beginning of the year. The awards are normally limited to a maximum 
of 50% of basic salary, however in exceptional circumstances the annual maximum may increase up to 100% of basic salary.

iii) Pensions and Other Benefits
The Group does not operate a Group pension scheme. Instead Directors are entitled to receive a Company contribution to their 
individual private pension arrangements. In order to take account of the varying status of each individuals personal pension 
arrangements, the Remuneration Committee have agreed that, subject to there being no incremental cost to the Company, Directors 
may, at their sole discretion, elect to receive their Company pension contribution as taxed income as an alternative to a pension scheme 
contribution. Other benefits provided are life assurance, permanent health insurance, private medical insurance and car allowance.

iv) Share Options/Long-Term Incentive Plan
Executive Directors are awarded share options at the discretion of the Remuneration Committee. Share options are granted at the 
closing mid-market value of the Company’s ordinary shares on the day prior to grant and vest after a period of three years.

Under the terms of the Long-Term Incentive Plan Executive Directors are awarded options to subscribe for the Company’s ordinary 
shares at an exercise price equal to the nominal value. These options are subject to performance conditions which must be achieved 
before the options vest and become exercisable. In the event that the performance conditions are not achieved within the required 
three year vesting period these options will lapse. Once vested, an award may be exercised at any time prior to the tenth anniversary 
of the date of grant.

The following annual awards have yet to vest:

The 2010 award is subdivided into four equal tranches, each of which will vest on 19 July 2013 upon achievement of the following 
performance conditions:
•	 one quarter will vest upon achievement of regulatory approvals of the Company’s lead product in a further six European countries 

(excluding UK and Spain) and three non-EU countries;

•	 one quarter will vest upon the conclusion of one new significant non-Sativex® license agreement;
•	 one quarter will vest upon the successful completion of a Phase II proof of concept clinical trial in one non-Sativex product; and
•	 one quarter will vest if, on the vesting date, the GW Pharmaceuticals plc share price has both increased and outperformed the 

FTSE AIM All Share Index over the period from the date of grant until vesting of the option.

The 2011 award is subject to a performance condition whereby the number of options vesting on the third anniversary of the date of 
grant will be determined according to the performance of the Company share price relative to a comparator group consisting of the 
constituents of the FTSE small cap index. Awards will only vest if the Company is ranked at median or above. 25% of the award will 
vest if the Company achieves median ranking, with 100% vesting if an upper quartile ranking is achieved. A straight line approach 
will be used to calculate the percentage vesting between these two extremes. 

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201237

The 2012 award is subdivided into four equal tranches, each of which will vest on 6 June 2015 upon achievement of the following 
performance conditions:
•	 one quarter of the award will vest upon achievement of first positive cancer pain clinical trial results;
•	 one quarter of the award will vest upon filing of a New Drug Application (“NDA”) for Sativex with the US Food and Drug 

Administration (“FDA”);

•	 one quarter of the award will vest upon signature of a new non-Sativex product license agreement; and
•	 one quarter of the award will vest subject to the Company share price performance over the three year vesting period. This will 
be ranked against the share price performance of a comparator group made up of the constituents of the FTSE Smallcap index. 
Awards will only vest if the Company is ranked at Median or above. 25% of this element of the award will vest if the Company 
achieves a Median ranking and 100% will vest if the Company achieves an Upper Quartile ranking, with a straight line approach 
used to calculate the percentage vesting between these two extremes.

The Remuneration Committee considered that, at the date of grant of these awards, the performance measures used represented the 
key value drivers for the business and that achievement of these performance measures should deliver significant value to the Group 
and to shareholders, such that the interests of the Executive Directors, the Group and our shareholders are appropriately aligned.

Remuneration Policy for non-executive Directors
The remuneration of the non-executive Directors is determined by the Board as a whole, based on a review of independent salary 
survey data. The non-executive Directors do not receive any pension from the Company, nor do they participate in any of the bonus or 
share option schemes.

The non-executive Directors have service agreements which are reviewed by the Board annually. They are included in the one third of 
Directors subject to retirement by rotation at each Annual General Meeting.

Audited Information
Directors’ Remuneration
The Directors received the following remuneration during the year:

Name of Director

Executive
Dr Geoffrey W Guy
Justin Gover
David Kirk1
Dr Stephen Wright
Adam George2
Chris Tovey3

Non-executive
James Noble
Richard Forrest
Thomas Lynch4

Salary and 
fees 
£

Bonus 
£

Taxable 
benefits 
£

Pension 
contributions 
£

2012 
Total 
£

 2011 
Total 
£

348,675
278,262
182,279
234,145
53,152
–

52,213
38,213
–

154,891
127,369
103,000
106,090
–
–

–
–
–

3,619
2,662
2,291
3,902
1,077
–

–
–
–

50,395
45,917
21,780
40,182
–
–

557,580
454,210
309,350
384,319
54,229
–

478,674
388,296
316,734
327,038
–
–

–
–
–

52,213
38,213
–

50,050
36,050
–

Aggregate emoluments

1,186,939

491,350

13,551

158,274

1,850,114  1,596,842

1  David Kirk retired from the Board on 1 June 2012.
2  Adam George was appointed to the Board on 1 June 2012.
3  Chris Tovey was appointed to the Board after the year end, on 1 October 2012.
4 

Since his appointment as a non-executive Director in July 2010, Thomas Lynch has waived his right to receive remuneration for this role.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201238

Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Directors’ Share Options
Aggregate emoluments disclosed above do not include any amounts for the value of options to acquire ordinary shares in the Company 
granted to or held by the Directors. Details of the options are as follows:

Name of Director

Dr Geoffrey W Guy

Justin Gover

David Kirk

Adam George

Dr Stephen Wright

At 1 Oct 
2011

216,080
302,344
171,315
364,675
170,000
170,000
259,836
259,493
–

175,000
170,854
239,063
135,458
299,844
153,000
153,000
213,666
213,384
–

500,000
155,778
217,969
123,506
238,883
137,000
137,000
170,228
172,558 

150,000
10,000
70,000
90,593
–

100,000
400,000
200,000
107,570
229,610
140,000
140,000
177,970
177,735
–

Granted

 Exercised

Lapsed

At 30 Sept 
2012

Exercise 
Price

Date of 
exercise

Date of 
expiry

–
–
–
–
–
–

208,915

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
 –
187,381

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
134,743

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
 –
170,731

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
(140,000)
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

216,080
302,344
171,315
364,675
170,000
170,000
259,836
259,493
208,915

175,000
170,854
239,063
135,458
299,844
153,000
153,000
213,666
213,384
187,381

500,000
155,778
217,969
123,506
238,883
137,000
137,000
170,228
172,558

150,000
10,000
70,000
90,593
134,743

100,000
400,000
200,000
107,570
229,610
–
140,000
177,970
177,735
170,731

199.00p
128.00p
125.50p
 95.50p
 0.1p
 0.1p
 0.1p
 0.1p
 0.1p

171.00p
199.00p
128.00p
125.50p
 95.50p
 0.1p
 0.1p
 0.1p
 0.1p
 0.1p

171.00p
199.00p
128.00p
125.50p
 95.50p
 0.1p
 0.1p
 0.1p
 0.1p

 54.00p 
0.1p
0.1p
0.1p
0.1p

199.00p
 99.00p
119.50p
125.50p
 95.50p
 0.1p
 0.1p
 0.1p
 0.1p
0.1p 

22/01/07
02/03/08
10/02/09
26/03/10
19/03/11
27/03/12
19/07/13
08/06/14
06/06/15

16/01/06
22/01/07
02/03/08
10/02/09
26/03/10
19/03/11
27/03/12
19/07/13
19/07/13
06/06/15

16/01/06
22/01/07
02/03/08
10/02/09
26/03/10
19/03/11
27/03/12
19/07/13
08/06/14

16/01/06
26/11/11
19/07/13
08/06/14
06/06/15

22/01/07
02/09/07
21/01/08
10/02/09
26/03/10
19/03/11
27/03/12
19/07/13
08/06/14
06/06/15

22/01/14
02/03/15
10/02/16
26/03/17
19/03/18
27/03/19
19/07/20
08/06/21
06/06/21

16/01/13
22/01/14
02/03/15
10/02/16
26/03/17
19/03/18
27/03/19
19/07/20
19/07/20
06/06/22

16/01/13
22/01/14
02/03/15
10/02/16
26/03/17
19/03/18
27/03/19
19/07/20
08/06/21

16/01/13
26/11/18
19/07/20
08/06/21
06/06/22

22/01/14
02/09/14
21/01/15
10/02/16
26/03/17
19/03/18
27/03/19
19/07/20
08/06/21
06/06/22

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201239

Options Granted
The options granted during 2012 represent an award under the Group LTIP scheme. The options are subject to performance 
conditions which must be achieved within three years from date of grant in order for the options to vest. The options will lapse in the 
event that the performance conditions are not achieved. Full details of the performance conditions are given on page 37.

Options Exercised
During the year 140,000 options (2011: 1,050,000) were exercised. These had an average exercise price of 0.1p (2011: 95p) and an 
average market price at date of exercise of 87p (2011: 116p), resulting in a notional gain at exercise of £121,660 (2011: £225,000).

In addition the following ordinary shares have been conditionally gifted under the rules of the GW Pharmaceuticals All Employee 
Share Scheme as follows:

Name of Director

Executive
Mr Justin Gover

Dr Stephen Wright

Mr Adam George

Directors’ Shareholdings
The interests of the Directors in the shares of the Company as at 30 September 2012 were:

Name of Director

Executive
Dr Geoffrey W Guy1
Justin Gover2
David Kirk3
Adam George4
Dr Stephen Wright5

Non-executive
James Noble
Tom Lynch
Richard Forrest

At 1 Oct 
2011 and 
30 Sept 
2012

Vested

14,384
2,450
1,507
1,500
2,065

02/10/03
23/01/05
22/01/07
21/01/08
 01/06/12

Ordinary 
shares 
of 0.1p 
30 Sept 
2012

Ordinary 
shares of 
0.1p 
30 Sept 
2011

17,187,654 17,552,654
3,983,668
3,983,668
59,500
61,950
–
21,696
5,000
5,000

72,500
236,344
100,000

72,500
236,344
90,000

Justin Gover’s holding includes 33,147 ordinary shares held by his wife.

1  Dr Geoffrey Guy’s holding includes 25,000 ordinary shares held by his immediate family and 1,174,958 shares held by his personal pension plan.
2 
3  David Kirk’s holding includes 6,750 ordinary shares held by his wife and 40,000 shares held by his personal pension plan. David Kirk retired as a Director on 1 June 2012.
4  Adam George’s holding is held by his personal pension scheme.
5  Dr Stephen Wright’s holding of 5,000 ordinary shares is held by his wife.

The market price of the Company’s shares as at 30 September 2012 was 75p (2011: 98p) and the range during the year was 68p to 
100p (2011: 88p to 130p).

By order of the Board

Thomas Lynch
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee
27 November 2012

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201240

Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law 
and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Directors are required 
to prepare the Group financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRSs”) as adopted by the 
European Union and have also chosen to prepare the Parent Company financial statements under IFRSs as adopted by the European 
Union. Under company law the Directors must not approve the accounts unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of 
the state of affairs of the Company and of the profit or loss of the Company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, 
International Accounting Standard 1 requires that Directors:
•	 properly select and apply accounting policies;
•	 present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and 

understandable information; 

•	 provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in IFRSs are insufficient to enable users to 

understand the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the entity’s financial position and financial 
performance; and

•	 make an assessment of the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company’s 
transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and enable them to ensure that 
the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company 
and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the Company’s 
website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from 
legislation in other jurisdictions.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201241

Independent Auditor’s Report
For the year ended 30 September 2012

Independent Auditor’s Report to the Members of GW Pharmaceuticals plc
We have audited the financial statements of GW Pharmaceuticals plc for the year ended 30 September 2012 which comprise the Group 
Income Statement, the Group and parent company Balance Sheets, the Group and parent company Cash Flow Statements, the Group 
and parent company Statements of Changes in Equity and the related notes 1 to 28. The financial reporting framework that has been 
applied in their preparation is applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRSs”) as adopted by the European 
Union and as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006.

This report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. 
Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in 
an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone 
other than the Company and the Company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Respective Responsibilities of Directors and Auditor
As explained more fully in the Directors’ Responsibilities Statement, the Directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial 
statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the 
financial statements in accordance with applicable law and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards 
require us to comply with the Auditing Practices Board’s (“APB’s”) Ethical Standards for Auditors.

Scope of the Audit of the Financial Statements
An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable 
assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an 
assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the Group’s and the parent company’s circumstances and have been 
consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the Directors; and the 
overall presentation of the financial statements. In addition, we read all the financial and non-financial information in the Annual 
Report to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial statements. If we become aware of any apparent material 
misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our report.

Opinion on Financial Statements
In our opinion:
•	 the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the Group’s and the parent company’s affairs as at 30 September 2012 

and of the Group’s profit for the year then ended;

•	 the Group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union;
•	 the parent company financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union 

and as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006; and

•	 the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Opinion on Other Matters Prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion:
•	 the information given in the Directors’ Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent 

with the financial statements.

Matters on which we are Required to Report by Exception
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
•	 adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received 

from branches not visited by us; or

•	 the parent company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
•	 certain disclosures of Directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
•	 we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Other Matters
In our opinion:
•	 the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with the provisions of the 

Companies Act 2006 that would have applied were the Company a quoted company.

Although not required to do so, the Directors have voluntarily chosen to make a corporate governance statement detailing the extent 
of their compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code. We reviewed:
•	 the Directors’ statement contained within the Directors’ report in relation to going concern; and
•	 the part of the Corporate Governance Statement relating to the Company’s compliance with the nine provisions of the 

UK Corporate Governance Code specified for our review.

Anna Marks (Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of Deloitte LLP
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor 
Reading, United Kingdom
27 November 2012

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201242

Consolidated Income Statement
For the year ended 30 September

Revenue
Cost of sales

Gross profit
Research and development expenditure
Management and administrative expenses

Operating profit
Interest expense
Interest income

Profit before tax
Tax

Profit for the year
Earnings per share – basic

Earnings per share – diluted

Notes

3

 4

9
9

5
10

11

11

2012 
£000’s

33,120
 (839)

32,281
(27,578)
(3,660)

1,043
(1)
200

1,242
 1,248

 2,490
1.9p

1.8p

2011 
£000’s

29,627
 (1,347)

28,280
(22,714)
(3,298)

2,268
(3)
263

2,528
221

 2,749
2.1p

2.0p

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated income statements.

All activities relate to continuing operations.

The Group has no recognised gains or losses other than the gains and losses shown above and therefore no separate consolidated 
statement of comprehensive income has been presented.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012Statements of Changes in Equity
For the year ended 30 September

43

Group

Balance at 30 September 2010
Exercise of share options
Share-based payment transactions
Profit for the year

Balance at 30 September 2011
Exercise of share options
Share-based payment transactions
Profit for the year

Balance at 30 September 2012

Company

At 1 October 2010
Exercise of share options
Share-based payment transactions
Loss for the year

Balance at 30 September 2011
Exercise of share options
Share-based payment transactions
Dividend received from subsidiary
Profit for the year

Balance at 30 September 2012

Called-up 
share capital 
£000’s

131
2
–
–

133
–
–
–

133

Called-up 
share capital 
£000’s

131
2
–
–

133
–
–
–
–

133

Share 
premium 
account1 
£000’s

64,433
1,433
–
–

65,866
81
–
–

65,947

Share 
premium 
account 
£000’s

64,433
1,433
–
–

65,866
81
–
–
–

65,947

Other 
reserves1 
£000’s

Accumulated 
deficit 
£000’s

20,184
–
–
–

20,184
–
–
–

20,184

(72,075)
–
795
2,749

(68,531)
–
1,009
2,490

(65,032)

Other 
reserves 
£000’s

Retained 
earnings 
£000’s

922
–
–
–

922
–
–
–
–

922

3,365
–
795
(300)

3,860
–
1,009
30,000
79

34,948

Total 
£000’s

12,673
1,435
795
2,749

17,652
81
1,009
2,490

21,232

Total 
£000’s

68,851
1,435
795
(300)

70,781
81
1,009
30,000
79

101,950

1  The Group has reclassified certain equity account balances at 1 October 2009. The impact of this reclassification was a decrease in the share premium account and an increase in 

other reserves, in the amount of £922,000 at this date. Further information regarding this reclassification is included in note 23. This reclassification had no impact on total equity 
or income for the year.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements of changes in equity.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201244

Balance Sheets
As at 30 September

Non-current assets
Intangible assets – goodwill
Investments
Property, plant and equipment

Current assets
Inventories
Taxation recoverable
Trade receivables and other current assets
Cash and cash equivalents

Total assets

Current liabilities
Trade and other payables
Obligations under finance leases
Deferred revenue

Non-current liabilities
Deferred revenue

Total liabilities

Net assets

Equity
Share capital
Share premium account1
Other reserves1
Accumulated deficit/retained earnings

Total equity

Notes

12
28
13

14
10
15
19

16
17
18

Group

Company

2012
£000’s

5,210
–
2,432

7,642

3,537
820
1,588
29,335

35,280

42,922

2011
£000’s

5,210
–
1,868

7,078

1,424
–
2,281
28,319

32,024

39,102

2012
£000’s

2011
£000’s

–
95,105
–

95,105

–
–
27
8,848

8,875

–
77,495
–

77,495

–
–
31
1,000

1,031

103,980

78,526

(9,114)
–
(2,449)

(6,562)
(7)
(3,459)

(11,563)

(10,028)

(2,030)
–
–

(2,030)

(7,745)
–
–

(7,745)

18

(10,127)

(11,422)

–

–

(21,690)

(21,450)

(2,030)

(7,745)

21,232

17,652

101,950

70,781

20

23

133
65,947
20,184
(65,032)

133
65,866
20,184
(68,531)

133
65,947
922
34,948

21,232

17,652

101,950

133
65,866
922
3,860

70,781

1  The Group has reclassified certain equity account balances at 1 October 2009. The impact of this reclassification was a decrease in the share premium account and an increase in 
other reserves as presented in the consolidated balance sheet above, of £922,000 at 30 September 2011. Further information regarding this reclassification is included in note 23. 
This reclassification had no impact on total equity or income for the year.

The financial statements of GW Pharmaceuticals plc, registered number 04160917, on pages 42 to 69 were approved by the Board on 
27 November 2012 and were signed on its behalf by:

Dr Geoffrey W Guy
Executive Chairman
27 November 2012

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these balance sheets.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012Cash Flow Statements
For the year ended 30 September 

Profit/(loss) for the year
Adjustments for:
Interest expense
Interest income
Tax
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment
Other gains and losses
Increase in allowance for doubtful debts
Decrease in provision for inventories
Share-based payment charge

Increase in inventories
Decrease/(increase) in trade receivables and other current assets
Increase/(decrease) in trade and other payables

Cash generated/(used) by operations
Research and development tax credits received

Net cash inflow/(outflow) from operating activities

Investing activities
Interest received
Increase in loan to subsidiary
Dividend received from subsidiary
Purchase of property, plant and equipment

Net cash (outflow)/inflow from investing activities

Financing activities
Proceeds on exercise of share options
Expenses of share issue
Interest paid
Capital element of finance leases

Net cash inflow from financing activities
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year

45

Group

 Company

2012
£000’s

2,490

1
(200)
(1,248)
754
(202)
26
(1,300)
1,009

1,330
 (813)
609
247

1,373
428

1,801

258
–
–
(1,318)

(1,060)

81
–
(1)
(7)

73
202
1,016

28,319

29,335

2011
£000’s

2,749

3
(263)
(221)
589
7
–
(425)
795

3,234
(219)
(1,043)
168

2,140
221

2,361

244
–
–
(891)

(647)

1,435
–
(3)
(39)

1,393
(7)
3,100

25,219

28,319

2012
£000’s

79

2011
£000’s

(300)

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

79
–
4
5,419

5,502
–

5,502

–
(16,601)
18,866
–

2,265

81
–
–
–

81
–
7,848

1,000

8,848

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

(300)
–
(11)
(124)

(435)
–

(435)

–
–
–
–

–

1,435
–
–
–

1,435
–
1,000

–

1,000

The total dividend received by the Company from its subsidiary GW Pharma Ltd was £30.0m. Total cash paid was £18.9m and the 
remaining £11.1m was settled by non-cash movements through the intercompany balances.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these cash flow statements.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201246

Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 September 2012

1. General Information
GW Pharmaceuticals plc (the “Company”) and its subsidiaries (the “Group”) are primarily involved in the development of 
cannabinoid prescription medicines using botanical extracts derived from the Cannabis Sativa plant. The Group’s vision is to be the 
global leader in cannabinoid prescription medicines through the rapid, cost-effective development of pharmaceuticals products that 
address clear unmet medical needs. The Group is developing a portfolio of cannabinoid medicines, of which the lead product is 
Sativex®, an oromucosal spray for the treatment of MS symptoms, cancer pain and neuropathic pain.

The Company is a public limited company, which has been listed on the Alternative Investment Market (“AIM”), which is a sub-
market of the London Stock Exchange, since 28 June 2001. The Company is incorporated and domiciled in the United Kingdom. 
The address of the Company’s registered office and principal place of business is Porton Down Science Park, Salisbury, Wiltshire.

2. Significant Accounting Policies
The principal Group accounting policies are summarised below. 

Basis of Accounting
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRSs”). The financial 
statements have also been prepared in accordance with IFRSs as endorsed by the European Union and therefore the Group financial 
statements comply with Article 4 of the EU IAS regulation and IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”).

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, except for the revaluation of financial instruments. 
Historical cost is generally based on the fair value of the consideration given in exchange for the assets. The principal accounting 
policies are set out below.

Going Concern
The Directors have considered the financial position of the Group, its cash position and forecast cash flows for the 12 month period 
from the date of signing these financial statements when considering going concern. They have also considered the Group’s business 
activities, the key policies for managing financial risks and the key factors affecting the likely development of the business in 2013. 
In the light of this review, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company and the Group have adequate resources to 
continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing 
these financial statements despite the uncertain economic climate.

Basis of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial statements of the Company and entities controlled by the Company (its 
subsidiaries) made up to 30 September each year. Subsidiaries are all entities over which the Group has the power to govern the financial 
and operating policies of the entity concerned, generally accompanying a shareholding of more than one half of the voting rights. 

The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the year are included in the consolidated income statement from the effective 
date of acquisition or up to the effective date of disposal, as appropriate. Where necessary, adjustments are made to the financial 
statements of subsidiaries to bring the accounting policies used into line with those used by the Group. All intra-group transactions, 
balances, income and expenses are eliminated on consolidation. Acquisitions are accounted for under the purchase method. 

Non-controlling interests in subsidiaries are identified separately from the Group’s equity therein. Those interests of non-controlling 
shareholders that are present ownership interests entitling their holders to a proportionate share of net assets upon liquidation may 
initially be measured at fair value or at the non-controlling interests’ proportionate share of the fair value of the acquiree’s identifiable 
net assets. The choice of measurement is made on an acquisition-by-acquisition basis. Other non-controlling interests are initially 
measured at fair value. Subsequent to acquisition, the carrying amount of non-controlling interests is the amount of those interests at 
initial recognition plus the non-controlling interests’ share of subsequent changes in equity. Total comprehensive income is attributed 
to non-controlling interests even if this results in the non-controlling interests having a deficit balance.

Changes in the Group’s interests in subsidiaries that do not result in a loss of control are accounted for as equity transactions. The 
carrying amount of the Group’s interests and the non-controlling interests are adjusted to reflect the changes in their relative interests 
in the subsidiaries. Any difference between the amount by which the non-controlling interests are adjusted and the fair value of the 
consideration paid or received is recognised directly in equity and attributed to the owners of the Company. When the Group loses

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201247

2. Significant Accounting Policies continued
control of a subsidiary, the profit or loss on disposal is calculated as the difference between (i) the aggregate of the fair value of the 
consideration received and the fair value of any retained interest and (ii) the previous carrying amount of the assets (including 
goodwill), less liabilities of the subsidiary and any non-controlling interests. Amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive 
income in relation to the subsidiary are accounted for (ie reclassified to profit or loss or transferred directly to retained earnings) in the 
same manner as would be required if the relevant assets or liabilities are disposed of. The fair value of any investment retained in the 
former subsidiary at the date when control is lost is regarded as the fair value on initial recognition for subsequent accounting under 
IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement or, when applicable, the costs on initial recognition of an investment in 
an associate or jointly controlled entity.

No income statement is presented for GW Pharmaceuticals plc as permitted by Section 408 of the Companies Act 2006. The Company’s 
profit for the financial year was £79,000 (2011 loss: £300,000).

Intangible Assets – Goodwill
Goodwill arising in a business combination is recognised as an asset at the date that control is acquired. Goodwill is measured as the 
excess of the sum of consideration transferred, the amount of any non-controlling interest in the acquiree and the fair value of the 
acquirer’s previously held equity interest (if any) in the entity over the net of the acquisition date amounts of the identifiable assets and 
liabilities assumed. 

Goodwill is not amortised but is tested for impairment at least annually. For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill is allocated 
to each of the Group’s cash-generating units expected to benefit from the synergies of the combination. Cash-generating units to 
which goodwill has been allocated are tested for impairment annually, or more frequently when there is an indication that the unit 
may be impaired. If the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit is less than the carrying amount of the unit, the impairment 
loss is allocated first to reduce the carrying amount of any goodwill allocated to the unit and then to the other assets of the unit 
pro-rata on the basis of the carrying amount of each asset in the unit. An impairment loss recognised for goodwill is not reversed in a 
subsequent period. 

On disposal of a subsidiary, the attributable amount of goodwill is included in the determination of the profit or loss on disposal.

Revenue
Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable and represents amounts receivable for goods and 
services provided in the normal course of business net of value added tax and other sales-related taxes. The Group recognises revenue 
when the amount can be reliably measured; when it is probable that future economic benefits will flow to the Group; and when 
specific criteria have been met for each of the Group’s activities, as described below. 

The Group’s revenue arises from product sales, licensing fees, collaboration fees, technical access fees, development and approval 
milestone fees, research and development fees and royalties. Agreements with commercial partners generally include a non-refundable 
up-front license and collaboration fees, milestone payments, the receipt of which is dependent upon the achievement of certain 
clinical, regulatory or commercial milestones, as well as royalties on product sales of licensed products, if and when such product sales 
occur. For these agreements, total arrangement consideration is attributed to separately identifiable components on a reliable basis that 
reasonably reflects the prices that might be expected to be achieved in stand-alone transactions. The then allocated consideration is 
recognised as revenue in accordance with the principles described below. 

Product Sales
Revenue from the sale of products is recognised when the Group has transferred to the buyer the significant risks and rewards of 
ownership of the goods, the Group no longer has effective control over the goods sold, the amount of revenue and costs associated 
with the transaction can be measured reliably, and it is probable that the Group will receive future economic benefits associated with 
the transaction. Product sales have no rights of return. Provisions for rebates are established in the same period that the related sales 
are recorded.

Licensing Fees
License fees received in connection with product out-licensing agreements, even where such fees are non-refundable, are deferred and 
recognised over the period of the license term. 

Collaboration Fees
Collaboration fees are deferred and recognised as services are rendered based on the percentage of completion method. 

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201248

Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year ended 30 September 2012

2. Significant Accounting Policies continued
Technical Access Fees
Technical access fees represent amounts charged to licensing partners to provide access to and to commercially exploit data that the 
Group possesses or which can be expected to result from Group research programmes that are in progress. Non-refundable technical 
access fees that involve the delivery of data that the Group possesses and that permit the licensing partner to use the data freely and where 
the Group has no remaining obligations to perform are recognised as revenue upon delivery of the data. Non-refundable technical access 
fees relating to data where the research programme is ongoing are recognised based on the percentage of completion method. 

Development and Approval Milestone Fees
Development and approval milestone fees are recognised as revenue based on the percentage of completion method on the assumption 
that all stages will be completed successfully, but with cumulative revenue recognised limited to non-refundable amounts already 
received or reasonably certain to be received. 

Research and Development Fees
Revenue from partner funded contract research and development agreements is recognised as research and development services are 
rendered. Where services are in-progress at period end, the Group recognises revenues proportionately, in line with the percentage of 
completion of the service. Where such in-progress services include the conduct of clinical trials, the Group recognises revenue in line 
with the stage of completion of each trial so that revenues are recognised in line with the expenditures. 

Royalties
Royalty revenue is recognised on an accrual basis in accordance with the substance of the relevant agreement, provided that it is 
probable that the economic benefits will flow to the Group and the amount of revenue can be measured reliably. 

Research and Development
Expenditure on research and development activities is recognised as an expense in the period in which it is incurred.

An internally generated intangible asset arising from the Group’s development activities is recognised only if the following conditions 
are met:
•	 an asset is created that can be identified
•	
•	 the development cost of the asset can be measured reliably.

it is probable that the asset created will generate future economic benefits, and

The Group has determined that regulatory approval is the earliest point at which the probable threshold can be achieved. All research 
and development expenditure incurred prior to achieving regulatory approval is therefore expensed as incurred.

Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and any recognised impairment loss. Depreciation is 
provided so as to write off the cost of assets, less their estimated residual values, over their useful lives using the straight line method, 
as follows:

Motor vehicles
Plant, machinery and lab equipment 
Office and IT equipment
Leasehold improvements

4 years
4–10 years
4 years
5–10 years or term of the lease if shorter

Assets under finance leases are depreciated over their expected useful lives on the same basis as owned assets or, where shorter, over 
the term of the relevant lease.

The gain or loss arising on disposal or scrappage of an asset is determined as the difference between the sales proceeds and the 
carrying amount of the asset and is recognised in operating profit.

Investments in subsidiary companies
Investments are shown at cost less any provision for impairment. Investments in subsidiary companies which are accounted for under 
merger accounting principles are shown at the nominal value of shares issued in accordance with the provisions of Section 131 of the 
Companies Act 2006.

The carrying value of investments in subsidiary companies in the Company balance sheet is increased annually by the value of the 
capital contribution deemed to have been made by the Company in its subsidiary by the grant of equity-settled share-based payments 
to the employees of the subsidiary company. The value attributable to these equity-settled share-based payments is calculated in 
accordance with IFRS 2, Share-based payments.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201249

2. Significant Accounting Policies continued
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost is calculated using the weighted average cost method. Cost 
includes materials, direct labour, depreciation of manufacturing assets and an attributable proportion of manufacturing overheads 
based on normal levels of activity. Net realisable value is the estimated selling price, less all estimated costs of completion and costs to 
be incurred in marketing, selling and distribution.

If net realisable value is lower than the carrying amount, a write down provision is recognised for the amount by which the carrying 
amount exceeds its net realisable value.

Inventories manufactured prior to regulatory approval are capitalised as an asset but provided for until there is a high probability of 
regulatory approval of the product. At the point when a high probability of regulatory approval is obtained, the provision is adjusted 
appropriately to adjust the carrying value to expected net realisable value, which may not exceed original cost.

Adjustments to the provision against inventories manufactured prior to regulatory approval are recorded as a component of research 
and development expenditure.

Adjustments to the provision against commercial product related inventories manufactured following achievement of regulatory 
approval are recorded as a component of cost of goods.

Taxation
The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable or recoverable and deferred tax.

The tax payable or recoverable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the 
consolidated income statement because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it 
further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The Group’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates and laws 
that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date.

Deferred tax is the tax expected to be payable or recoverable on differences between carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in the 
financial statements and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable profit and is accounted for using the balance 
sheet liability method. Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all taxable temporary differences and deferred tax assets are 
recognised only to the extent that it is probable that taxable profits will be available against which deductible temporary differences 
can be utilised. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the temporary difference arises from the initial recognition of goodwill 
or from the initial recognition (other than in a business combination) of assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the 
taxable profit nor the accounting profit. 

Deferred tax liabilities are recognised for taxable temporary differences arising on investments in subsidiaries and associates, and 
interests in joint ventures, except where the Group is able to control the reversal of the temporary difference and it is probable that the 
temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each balance sheet date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer 
probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered.

Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised 
based on tax laws and rates that have been enacted at the balance sheet date. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the income 
statement, except when it relates to items charged or credited in other comprehensive income, in which case the deferred tax is also 
dealt with in other comprehensive income.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to set off current tax assets against current tax 
liabilities and when they relate to income taxes levied by the same taxation authority and the Group intends to settle its current tax 
assets and liabilities on a net basis.

Earnings per Share 
Basic earnings or loss per share represents the profit or loss for the year, divided by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in 
issue during the year, excluding the weighted average number of ordinary shares held in the GW Pharmaceuticals All Employee Share 
Scheme (the “ESOP”) during the year to satisfy employee share awards.

Diluted earnings or loss per share represents the profit or loss for the year, divided by the weighted average number of ordinary shares 
in issue during the year, excluding the weighted average number of shares held in the ESOP during the year to satisfy employee share 
awards, plus the weighted average number of dilutive shares resulting from share options or warrants where the inclusion of these 
would not be antidilutive.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201250

Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year ended 30 September 2012

2. Significant Accounting Policies continued
Retirement Benefit Costs
The Group does not operate any pension plans, but makes contributions to personal pension arrangements of its Executive Directors 
and employees. The amounts charged to the income statement in respect of pension costs are the contributions payable in the year. 
Differences between contributions payable in the year and contributions paid are shown as either accruals or prepayments in the 
balance sheet.

Foreign Currency
The individual financial statements of each Group company are presented in the currency of the primary economic environment in 
which it operates (its functional currency), which for all companies forming part of the Group, is Pounds Sterling. The presentation 
currency of the consolidated financial statements is also Pounds Sterling.

In preparing the financial statements of the individual companies, transactions in currencies other than the entity’s functional 
currency (foreign currencies) are recorded at the rate of exchange at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities 
denominated in foreign currencies at the balance sheet date are retranslated at the rates of exchange prevailing at that date. 
Non-monetary items carried at fair value that are denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rates prevailing at the 
date when the fair value was determined. Non-monetary items that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency 
are not retranslated.

Any gain or loss arising from a change in exchange rates subsequent to the date of the transaction is included as an exchange gain or 
loss in the income statement as a component of operating profit.

Share-based Payment
Equity-settled share-based payments to employees and others providing similar services are measured at fair value (excluding the 
effect of non-market based vesting conditions) at the date of grant. 

The fair value determined at the grant date of the equity-settled share-based payments is expensed on a straight-line basis over the 
vesting period, based on the Group’s estimate of shares that will eventually vest. At each balance sheet date, the Group revises its 
estimate of the number of equity instruments expected to vest as a result of the effect of non-market based vesting conditions. The 
impact of the revision of the original estimates, if any, is recognised in profit or loss such that the cumulative expense reflects the 
revised estimate, with a corresponding adjustment to equity reserves. 

Equity-settled share-based payment transactions with parties other than employees are measured at the fair value of the goods or 
services received, except where that fair value cannot be estimated reliably, in which case they are measured at the fair value of the 
equity instruments granted, measured at the date of grant. 

Warrants
Warrants issued by the Group are recognised and classified as equity when upon exercise, the Company would issue a fixed amount of 
its own equity instruments (ordinary shares) in exchange for a fixed amount of cash or another financial asset.

Consideration received, net of incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of such new warrants, is shown in equity.
Changes in fair value of such warrants are not recognised in the financial statements.

When the warrants are exercised, the Company issues new shares. The proceeds received net of any directly attributable transaction 
costs are credited to share capital (nominal value) and share premium.

Leases 
Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to 
the lessee. All other leases are classified as operating leases.

Rentals under operating leases are charged on a straight-line basis over the term of the relevant lease except where another more 
systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the lease are consumed. Contingent rentals 
arising under operating leases are recognised as an expense in the period in which they are incurred. 

In the event that lease incentives are received to enter into operating leases, such incentives are recognised as a liability. The aggregate 
benefit of incentives is recognised as a reduction of rental expense on a straight-line basis, except where another systematic basis is 
more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the leased asset are consumed.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201251

2. Significant Accounting Policies continued
Assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets of the Group at their fair value or, if lower, the present value of the minimum 
lease payments, each determined at the inception of the lease. The corresponding liability to the lessor is included in the balance sheet 
as a finance lease obligation. Lease payments are apportioned between finance charges and reduction of the finance lease obligation so 
as to achieve a constant rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability. Finance expenses are recognised immediately in profit 
or loss, unless they are directly attributable to qualifying assets, in which case they are capitalised in accordance with the Group’s 
general policy on borrowing costs. Contingent rentals are recognised as an expense in the periods in which they are incurred.

Financial Instruments
Financial assets and liabilities are recognised in the Group’s balance sheet when the Group becomes party to the contractual 
provisions of the instrument.

All financial assets are recognised and derecognised on a trade date where the purchase or sale of a financial asset is under a 
contract whose terms require delivery of the financial asset within the timeframe established by the market concerned and are initially 
measured at fair value, plus transaction costs, except for those financial assets classified as at fair value through profit or loss, which 
are initially measured at fair value. 

Financial assets are classified into the following specified categories: financial assets “at fair value through profit or loss”, “held-to-
maturity” investments, “available-for-sale” financial assets and “loans and receivables”. The classification depends on the nature and 
purpose of the financial assets and is determined at the time of initial recognition.

For each reporting period covered herein, the Group’s financial assets were restricted to “loans and receivables”. 

Loans and Receivables 
Trade receivables that have fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market are classified as “loans and 
receivables”. Loans and receivables are measured at amortised cost, less any impairment. Interest income is recognised by applying 
the effective interest rate, except for short-term receivables when the recognition of interest would be immaterial.

Trade receivables are assessed for indicators of impairment at each balance sheet date. Trade receivables are impaired where there is 
objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after initial recognition, the estimated future cash flows of the 
receivables have been affected. Appropriate allowances for estimated irrecoverable amounts are recognised in the income statement. 
The allowance recognised is measured as the difference between the asset’s carrying amount and the present value of estimated future 
cash flows discounted at the effective interest rate computed at initial recognition.

Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash in hand and on-call deposits held with banks and other short-term highly liquid investments 
with a maturity of three months or less.

Financial Liabilities 
Financial liabilities are classified as either financial liabilities “at Fair Value Through Profit and Loss” or “other financial liabilities”.

For each reporting period covered herein, the Group’s financial liabilities were restricted to “other financial liabilities”. 

Other Financial Liabilities 
Trade payables are initially measured at fair value, net of transaction costs and are subsequently measured at amortised cost, using the 
effective interest rate method.

The effective interest method is a method of calculating the amortised cost of a financial liability and of allocating interest expense 
over the relevant period. The effective interest rate is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash payments through the 
expected life of the financial liability, or, where appropriate, a shorter period, to the net carrying amount on initial recognition.

Critical Judgements in Applying the Group’s Accounting Policies
In the application of the Group’s accounting policies, which are described above, the Board of Directors are required to make 
judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other 
sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be 
relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in 
which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period or in the period of the revisions and future periods if the revision 
affects both current and future periods.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201252

Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year ended 30 September 2012

2. Significant Accounting Policies continued
The following are the critical judgements, apart from those involving estimations (which are dealt with separately below), that the 
Directors have made in the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies and that have the most significant effect on the 
amounts recognised in the financial statements.

Recognition of Clinical Trials Expenditure
The Group recognises expenditure incurred in carrying out clinical trials during the course of conduct of each clinical trial in line with 
the state of completion of each trial. This involves the calculation of clinical trial accruals at each period end to account for expenditure 
which has been incurred. This requires estimation of the expected full cost to complete the trial and also estimation of the current stage of 
trial completion. 

Clinical trials usually take place over extended time periods and typically involve a set-up phase, a recruitment phase and a completion 
phase which ends upon the receipt of a final report containing full statistical analysis of trial results. Accruals are prepared separately 
for each in-process clinical trial and take into consideration the stage of completion of each trial including the number of patients that 
have entered the trial, the number of patients that have completed treatment and whether the final report has been received. In all 
cases, the full cost of each trial is expensed by the time the final report has been received.

Revenue Recognition
The Group recognises revenue from product sales, licensing fees, collaboration fees, technical access fees, development and approval 
milestone fees and research and development fees. Agreements with commercial partners generally include a non-refundable up-front 
fee, milestone payments, the receipt of which is dependent upon the achievement of certain clinical, regulatory or commercial 
milestones, as well as royalties on product sales of licensed products, if and when such product sales occur. For these agreements, the 
Group is required to apply judgement in the allocation of total agreement consideration to the separately identifiable components on a 
reliable basis that reasonably reflects the prices that might be expected to be achieved in stand-alone transactions. 

The Group applies the percentage of completion revenue recognition method to certain classes of revenue. The application of this 
approach requires the judgement of the Group with regards to the total costs incurred and total estimated costs expected to be 
incurred over the length of the agreement. 

Key Sources of Estimation Uncertainty
The key assumptions concerning the future and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the balance sheet date, that have a 
significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year, are 
discussed below.

Provision for inventories
The Group maintains inventories which, based upon current sales levels and the current regulatory status of the product in each 
indication, is in excess of the amount that is expected to be utilised in the manufacture of finished product for future commercial sales.

Provision is therefore made to reduce the carrying value of the excess inventories to their expected net realisable value.

The provision for inventories, and adjustments thereto, are estimated based on evaluation of the status of the regulatory approval, 
projected sales volumes and growth rates. The timing and extent of future provision adjustments will be contingent upon timing and 
extent of future regulatory approvals and post-approval in-market sales demand, which remain uncertain at this time.

Deferred taxation 
At the balance sheet date, the Group has accumulated tax losses of £40.9m (2011: £46.0m) available to offset against future profits. 
If the value of these losses were recognised within the Group balance sheet at the balance sheet date, the Group would be carrying a 
deferred tax asset of £9.7m (2011: £11.8m). However, as explained in the tax accounting policy note, the Group policy is to recognise 
deferred tax assets only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits, feasible tax-planning strategies and deferred tax 
liabilities will be available against which the brought forward trading losses can be utilised. Estimation of the level of future taxable 
profits is therefore required in order to determine the appropriate carrying value of the deferred tax asset at each balance sheet date. 

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201253

2. Significant Accounting Policies continued
Adoption of New and Revised Standards
In the current year, the following revised standard has been adopted in these financial statements. Adoption has not had a significant 
impact on the amounts reported in these financial statements but may impact the accounting for future transactions and arrangements.

Amendments to IAS 12 (Dec 2010) Deferred Tax: Recovery of Underlying Assets
IAS 24 Related Party Disclosures

At the date of authorisation of these financial statements, the following Standards and Interpretations which have not been applied in 
these financial statements were in issue but not yet effective and in some cases had not been adopted by the EU:

Annual Improvements to IFRSs: 2009–2011 Cycle (May 2012)
Amendments to IAS 32 (Dec 2011) Offsetting Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
Amendments to IFRS 7 (Dec 2011) Disclosures – Offsetting Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
IFRS 9 Financial Instruments
Amendments to IAS 1 (June 2011) Presentation of Items of Other Comprehensive Income
IAS 19 (revised June 2011) Employee Benefits
IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement
IFRS 12 Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities
IFRS 11 Joint Arrangements
IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements
IAS 28 (revised May 2011) Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures
IAS 27 (revised May 2011) Separate Financial Statements
Improvements to IFRSs 2010 (May 2010) Improvements to IFRSs 2010

The Directors do not expect that the adoption of these Standards and Interpretations in future periods will have a material impact on 
the financial statements of the Group. 

3. Segmental Information
Information reported to the Group’s Board of Directors for the purposes of resource allocation and assessment of segment 
performance is focused on the stage of product development. The Group’s reportable segments are as follows: 
•	 Sativex Commercial: The Sativex Commercial segment promotes Sativex through strategic collaborations with major 

pharmaceutical companies for the currently approved indication of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis. The Group entered into 
licensing agreements with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Almirall S.A., Bayer HealthCare AG, Neopharm Group and Novartis 
Pharma AG for the commercialisation of Sativex in the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia (excluding Japan, 
China and Hong Kong), Middle East and Africa. Sativex Commercial segment revenues include product sales, and license, 
collaboration and technical access fees and development and approval milestones fees.

•	 Sativex Research and Development: The Sativex Research and Development segment seeks to maximise the potential of Sativex 
through the development of new indications. The current focus for this segment is the Phase III clinical development programme of 
Sativex for use in treatment of cancer pain. Sativex Research and Development segment revenues consist of research and 
development fees charged to Sativex licensees.

•	 Pipeline Research and Development: The Pipeline Research and Development segment seeks to develop cannabinoid 

medications other than Sativex across a range of therapeutic areas using the Group’s proprietary cannabinoid technology platform 
and partnerships with international scientists. The Group has two product candidates in Phase II trials in the field of diabetes and 
inflammation, as well as pre-clinical research programmes evaluating the use of selected cannabinoids for the treatment of glioma, 
epilepsy and psychiatric illness. Pipeline Research and Development segment revenues consist of research and development fees 
charged to Otsuka under the terms of our pipeline research collaboration agreement.

The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as the Group’s accounting policies described in note 2. Segment result 
represents the result of each segment without allocation of share-based payment expenses, and before management and administrative 
expenses, interest expense, interest income receivable and tax. This is the measure reported to the Group’s Board of Directors for the 
purpose of resource allocation and assessment of segment performance. 

No measures of segment assets and segment liabilities are reported to the Board of Directors in order to assess performance and 
allocate resources. Intersegment activity has been eliminated. There are no intersegment sales and all revenue is generated from 
external customers.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201254

Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year ended 30 September 2012

3. Segmental Information continued
Segmental revenues and result
For the Year Ended 30 September 2012

Revenue:
Product sales
Research and development fees
License, collaboration and technical access fees
Development and approval milestone fees

Total revenue
Cost of sales
Research and development credit/(expenditure)

Segmental result

Management and administrative expenses

Operating profit
Interest expense
Interest income

Profit before tax
Tax

Profit for the year

Sativex 
Commercial 
year ended 
2012 
£’000

Sativex 
R&D year 
ended 
2012 
£’000

Pipeline 
R&D year 
ended 
2012 
£’000

Total 
reportable 
segments 
year ended 
2012 
£’000

Unallocated 
Costs1 
year ended 
2012 
£’000

Consolidated 
year ended 
2012 
£’000

2,514
–
1,294
9,812

13,620
(839)
1,300

14,081

–
14,080
–
–

14,080
–
(18,415)

(4,335)

–
5,420
–
–

5,420
–
(9,904)

(4,484)

2,514
19,500
1,294
9,812

33,120
(839)
(27,019)

5,262

–
–
–
–

–
–
(559)

(559)

2,514
19,500
1,294
9,812

33,120
(839)
(27,578)

4,703

(3,660)

1,043
(1)
200

1,242
1,248

2,490

1  Unallocated costs represent share-based payment transactions which are not allocated to segments.

The following is an analysis of depreciation and the movement in the provision for inventories by segment:

Depreciation
Decrease in provision for inventories

Sativex 
Commercial 
year ended 
2012 
£’000

Sativex 
R&D year 
ended 
2012 
£’000

Pipeline 
R&D year 
ended 
2012 
£’000

Total 
reportable 
segments 
year ended 
2012 
£’000

Unallocated 
Costs1 year 
ended 
2012 
£’000

Consolidated 
year ended 
2012 
£’000

–
1,300

(394)
–

(360)
–

(754)
1,300

–
–

(754)
1,300

1  Unallocated costs represent share-based payment transactions which are not allocated to segments.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201255

3. Segmental Information continued
Segmental revenues and result
For the Year Ended 30 September 2011

Revenue:
Product sales
Research and development fees
License, collaboration and technical access fees
Development and approval milestone fees

Total revenue
Cost of sales
Research and development credit/(expenditure)

Segmental result

Management and administrative expenses

Operating profit
Interest expense
Interest income

Profit before tax
Tax

Profit for the year

Sativex 
Commercial 
year ended 
2011 
£’000

Sativex 
R&D year 
ended 
2011 
£’000

Pipeline 
R&D year 
ended 
2011 
£’000

Total 
reportable 
segments 
year ended 
2011 
£’000

Unallocated 
costs1 year 
ended 
2011 
£’000

Consolidated 
year ended 
2011 
£’000

4,409
–
3,843
5,337

13,589
(1,347)
266

12,508

–
10,822
–
–

10,822
–
(14,757)

(3,935)

–
5,216
–
–

5,216
–
(7,834)

(2,618)

4,409
16,038
3,843
5,337

29,627
(1,347)
(22,325)

5,955

–
–
–
–

–
–
(389)

(389)

4,409
16,038
3,843
5,337

29,627
(1,347)
(22,714)

5,566

(3,298)

2,268
(3)
263

2,528
221

2,749

The following is an analysis of depreciation and movement in provision for inventories by segment:

Depreciation
Decrease in provision for inventories

Sativex
Commercial 
year ended 
2011 
£’000

Sativex 
R&D year 
ended 
2011 
£’000

Pipeline 
R&D year 
ended 
2011 
£’000

Total 
reportable 
segments 
year ended 
2011 
£’000

Unallocated 
costs1 
year ended
2011 
£’000

Consolidated 
year ended 
2011 
£’000

–
266

(248)
159

(341)
–

(589)
425

–
–

(589)
425

1  Unallocated costs represent share-based payment transactions which are not allocated to segments.

Revenues from the Group’s largest customer, the only customer where revenues amount to more than 10% of the Group’s revenues, 
are included within the above segments as follows:

Year ended 30 September 2012

Year ended 30 September 2011

Geographical analysis of revenue by destination of customer:

UK
Europe (excluding UK)
United States
Canada
Asia

Sativex 
Commercial 
£’000

–

3,687

Sativex 
R&D 
£000’s

13,994

10,729

Pipeline 
R&D 
£000’s

5,420

5,216

2012 
£000’s

248
12,712
14,274
436
5,450

33,120

Total 
£000’s

19,414

19,632

2011 
£000’s

1,469
10,317
11,830
795
5,216

29,627

All revenue, profits and losses before tax originated in the UK. All assets and liabilities are held in the UK. 

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201256

Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year ended 30 September 2012

4. Research and Development Expenditure

GW-funded research and development
Development partner-funded research and development

2012 
£000’s

8,078
19,500

27,578

2011 
£000’s

6,676
16,038

22,714

GW-funded research and development consists of payroll costs for research staff and associated overhead, cost of growing botanical 
raw material, sponsorship of collaborative scientists and external third party costs incurred in conducting clinical trials. 

Development partner-funded research and development expenditures include the costs of employing staff to work on joint research and 
development plans, plus the costs of subcontracted pre-clinical studies and sponsorships of academic scientists who collaborate with the 
Group. These expenditures are charged to the Group’s commercial partners, principally Otsuka. The Group is the primary obligor for these 
activities and under the terms of the Sativex development agreements and the Otsuka research collaboration agreement, the Group uses 
both its internal resources and third party contractors to provide contract research and development services to its commercial partners. 

5. Profit before Tax
Profit before tax is stated after charging/(crediting):

Operating lease rentals – land and buildings
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment – owned
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment – leased
Inventories recognised as an expense
Provision for inventories decrease
Allowance for doubtful debts – trade receivables, increase
Foreign exchange loss/(gain)
Staff costs (see note 7)
The auditors for the years ending 30 September 2012 and 2011 were Deloitte LLP
Fees payable to the Company’s auditor were:
– Audit of the Company
– Audit of subsidiaries
– Interim review procedures
– Other services

6. Dividends

Company

Dividends received from subsidiary companies
Dividends received per share

No Dividends were paid by the Company (2011: nil).

7. Staff Costs
The average number of Group employees (including Executive Directors) for the year ended 30 September was:

Research and development
Management and administration

The Company had no employees during the year (2011: nil).

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs
Share-based payment

The Company incurred no staff costs during the year (2011: nil). 

2012 
£000’s

1,036
744
10
839
(1,300)
26
301
10,098

51
42
5
13

2011 
£000’s

782
541
48
1,210
(425)
–
(96)
8,532

8
37
5
–

2012
£000’s

30,000
22.5p

2011 
£000’s

–
–

2012 
Number

2011 
Number

162
15

177

136
16

152

2012 
£000’s

2011 
£000’s

7,700
926
463
1,009

10,098

6,443
865
429
795

8,532

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 20128. Directors’ Remuneration
The total amounts for Directors’ remuneration and other benefits for the year ended 30 September were as follows:

Emoluments
Money purchase contributions to Directors’ pension arrangements
Gain on exercise of share options

57

2012 
£000’s

1,692
158
122

1,972

2011 
£000’s

1,426
171
225

1,822

During 2012, four Directors were members of defined contribution pension schemes (2011: four).

Further details concerning the Directors’ remuneration, shareholdings and share options which form part of these financial statements 
are set out in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 35 to 39.

9. Interest

Interest expense – Finance lease interest
Interest income – Bank interest

10. Tax 
a) Analysis of tax credit for the year

UK corporation tax credit
Adjustments in respect of prior years

UK corporation tax R&D tax credit

2012 
£000’s

(1)
200

2011 
£000’s

(3)
263

2012 
£000’s 

(820)
(428)

(1,248)

2011 
£000’s

– 
(221)

(221)

The tax credit relates to UK research and development tax credits claimed under the Finance Act 2000.

b) Factors affecting the tax credit for the year
The tax credit for the year can be reconciled to the tax charge on the Group profit at the standard UK Corporation tax rate as follows:

Group profit on ordinary activities before tax

Tax charge on Group profit at standard UK corporation tax rate of 25% (2011: 27%)
Effects of:
Expenses not deductible in determining taxable profit
Income not taxable in determining taxable profit
Effects of unrecognised temporary differences
(Over)/under provision in respect of previous years
R&D enhanced tax relief

Group tax credit for the year

2012 
£000’s

1,242

311

– 
(4)
(395)
(428)
(732)

(1,248)

2011 
£000’s

2,528

682

 3 
(45)
 635 
(221)
(1,275)

(221)

The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the Group and movements thereon during the current and 
prior reporting periods: 

At 1 October 2010
(Charged)/credited to profit or loss

At 1 October 2011
(Charged)/credited to profit or loss

At 30 September 2012

Accelerated 
tax 
depreciation
£000’s

Other 
temporary 
differences
£000’s

Tax losses
£000’s

Total
£000’s

(149)
(53)

(202)
(75)

(277)

71
131

202
 75 

277

78
(78)

–
–

–

–
–

–
–

–

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201258

Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year ended 30 September 2012

10. Tax continued
Deferred tax assets and liabilities have been offset in full (netting to nil in all reporting periods), as the Group has a legally enforceable 
right to do so, and intends either to settle on a net basis, or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously. All entities in the 
Group operate in the same taxation jurisdiction and the taxing authority permits the Group to make or receive a single net payment. 

At 30 September 2012 the Group had tax losses available for carry forward of approximately £40.9m (2011: £46.0m). The Group has not 
recognised deferred tax assets relating to carried forward losses, of approximately £9.4m (2011: £11.4m) relating to such carry forward 
losses. In addition, the Group has not recognised deferred tax assets relating to other temporary differences of £0.3m (2011: £0.4m). 
These deferred tax assets have not been recognised as the Group’s management considers that there is insufficient future taxable income, 
taxable temporary differences and feasible tax-planning strategies to overcome cumulative losses  and therefore it is probable that the 
relevant deferred tax assets will not be realised in full.

In March 2012, the UK Government announced a reduction in the standard rate of UK corporation tax to 24% effective 1 April 2012 
and to 23% effective 1 April 2013. These rate reductions became substantively enacted in March 2012 and July 2012 respectively. 
The UK Government also proposed changes to further reduce the standard rate of UK corporation tax by 1% per annum to 22% by 
1 April 2014, but these changes have not yet been substantively enacted. The effect of these tax rate reductions on the deferred tax 
balance will be accounted for in the period in which the tax rate reductions are substantively enacted. 

11. Earnings Per Share
The calculations of earnings per share are based on the following data:

Profit for the year – basic and diluted

Weighted average number of ordinary shares
Less ESOP trust ordinary shares

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for purposes of basic earnings per shares
Effect of potentially dilutive shares arising from Share options
Effect of potentially dilutive shares arising from warrants

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for purposes of diluted earnings per share

Earnings per share – basic

Earnings per share – diluted

2012
£000’s

2,470

2011
£000’s

2,749

Number of shares

2012
m

133.2
(0.2)

133.0
4.5
–

137.5

1.9p

1.8p

2011
m

131.9
(0.2)

131.7
3.9
0.2

135.7

2.1p

2.0p

The 2011 weighted average number of shares have been adjusted to reflect the ESOP shares and the potentially dilutive effects of 
warrants. This did not impact the basic or diluted earnings per share presented.

12. Intangible Assets – Goodwill

Group

Cost – As at 1 October 
Accumulated impairment losses

Net Book Value – As at 30 September

2012 
£000’s

5,210
–

5,210

2011 
£000’s

5,210
–

5,210

As at 30 September 2012 the Company had no intangible assets (2011: nil).

Goodwill arose upon the acquisition of GW Research Ltd (formerly G-Pharm Ltd) by GW Pharma Limited in 2001. 

For impairment testing purposes, all goodwill has been allocated to the Sativex Commercial segment as a separate cash generating unit. 

The recoverable amount of this cash-generating unit is determined based on a value in use calculation which uses cash flow 
projections based on financial budgets covering a five year period, with a 2% growth rate thereafter (2011: 2%) and a discount rate of 
12% per annum (2011: 12% per annum). These projections take into account projected future product sales revenues, expected 
milestone receipts from licensees and projected development expenditures. 

Any reasonably possible change in the key assumptions on which recoverable amount is based would not cause the carrying amount to 
exceed the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit. An impairment loss is recognised only if the goodwill carrying value 
exceeds the value in use.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201259

Plant, 
machinery 
and lab 
equipment 
£000’s

Motor 
vehicles 
£000’s

Office 
and IT 
equipment 
£000’s

Leasehold 
improvements 
£000’s

11
–
–

11
–
(11)

–

11
–
–

11
–
(11)

–

–

–

3,140
405
–

3,545
500
(403)

3,642

1,993
403
–

2,396
392
(403)

2,385

1,257

1,149

778
344
–

1,122
235
(490)

867

544
125
–

669
195
(490)

374

493

453

968
142
–

1,110
583
(504)

1,189

783
61
–

844
167
(504)

507

682

266

Total 
£000’s

4,897
891
–

5,788
1,318
(1,408)

5,698

3,331
589
–

3,920
754
(1,408)

3,266

2,432

1,868

13. Property, Plant and Equipment

Group

Cost
At 1 October 2010
Additions
Disposals

At 1 October 2011
Additions
Disposals

At 30 September 2012

Accumulated Depreciation
At 1 October 2010
Charge for the year
Disposals

At 1 October 2011
Charge for the year
Disposals

At 30 September 2012

Net Book Value
At 30 September 2012

At 30 September 2011

The net book value of property, plant and equipment at 30 September 2012 includes £nil in respect of assets held under finance leases 
(2011: £10,000).

The Company does not own any property, plant and equipment.

14. Inventories

Raw materials
Work in progress
Finished goods

Group

Company

2012
£000’s

312
2,951
274

3,537

2011
£000’s

70
771
583

1,424

2012
£000’s

2011
£000’s

–
–
–

–

–
–
–

–

Inventory with a carrying value of £2.3m is considered to be recoverable after more than one year from the balance sheet date, but 
within the Group’s normal operating cycle (2011: nil).

The movement in the provision for inventories is as follows:

Opening balance – as at 1 October
Decrease in provision for inventories

As at 30 September

2012 
£000’s

3,431
(1,300)

2,131

2011 
£000’s

3,856
(425)

3,431

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201260

Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year ended 30 September 2012

15. Financial Assets
Trade and Other Receivables

Amounts falling due within one year
Trade receivables
Provision for impairment – trade receivables

Prepayments and accrued income
Other receivables

Group

Company

2012
£000’s

2011
£000’s

2012
£000’s

2011
£000’s

784
(26)

758
595
235

1,588

1,521
–

1,521
430
330

2,281

–
–

–
22
5

27

–
–

–
24
7

31

Trade receivables disclosed above are classified as loans and receivables and are therefore measured at amortised cost. 

Trade receivables at 30 September 2012 represent 8 days of sales (2011: 19 days). The average trade receivable days during the year 
ended 30 September 2012 was 31 days (2011: 18 days). The credit period extended to customers is 30 to 60 days. 

The provision for impairment – trade receivables is comprised of an individual receivable of £26,000 considered to be impaired at 
30 September 2012. All trade receivables were current at the balance sheet date as at 30 September 2012 and 2011.

The trade receivables balance at 30 September 2012 consisted of balances due from six customers (2011: six customers) with the 
largest single customer representing 38% (2011: 36%) of the total amount due. Given that the Group’s customers consist of a small 
number of large pharmaceutical companies, counterparty credit risk is considered to be low. The Group seeks to mitigate credit risk by 
seeking payments in advance from pharmaceutical partners for expenditure to be incurred on their behalf.

No interest is charged on trade receivables. 

The Directors consider that the carrying value of trade receivables equals their fair value. 

16. Financial Liabilities
Trade and Other Payables

Amounts falling due within one year
Other creditors and accruals
Trade payables
Other taxation and social security

Group

Company

2012
£000’s

2011
£000’s

2012
£000’s

2011
£000’s

4,437
4,090
587

9,114

3,695
2,381
486

6,562

1,999
31
–

2,030

7,710
35
–

7,745

Trade payables principally comprise amounts outstanding for trade purchases and ongoing costs.

Trade payables at 30 September 2012 represent the equivalent of 51 days purchases (2011: 46 days).

The average credit period taken for trade purchases during the year ended 30 September 2012 was 31 days (2011: 43 days). 

For most suppliers, no interest is charged on invoices that are paid within a pre-agreed trade credit period. The Group has procedures 
in place to ensure that invoices are paid within agreed credit terms so as to ensure that interest charges by suppliers are minimised. 

The Directors consider that the carrying value of trade payables approximates to their fair value.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201261

17. Obligations under Finance Leases

Amounts payable under finance leases:
Within one year
In the second to fifth years inclusive

Less: future finance charges

Present value of lease obligations

Less: Amount due for settlement within 12 months (shown under current liabilities)

Amount due for settlement after 12 months

Minimum lease payments

Present value of 
lease payments

2012
£000’s

2011
£000’s

2012
£000’s

2011
£000’s

–
–

–

–

–

8
–

7

1

7

–
–

–

n/a

–

–

–

7
–

7

n/a

7

7

–

Historically, it has been the Group’s policy to lease certain of its property, plant and equipment under finance leases. The average lease 
term has been three years. For the year ended 30 September 2012, the average effective borrowing rate was 11% (2011: 11%). Interest 
rates are fixed at the contract date. All leases to date have been on a fixed repayment basis and no arrangements have been entered into 
for contingent rental payments.

All lease obligations are denominated in Sterling.

The fair value of the Group’s lease obligations is approximately equal to their carrying amount.

The Group’s obligations under finance leases are generally secured by the lessors’ rights over the leased assets. 

18. Deferred Revenue

Amounts falling due within one year
Deferred license, collaboration and technical access fee income1
Advance research and development fees2

Amounts falling due after one year
Deferred license, collaboration and technical access fee income1

Group

Company

2012
£000’s

1,378
1,071

2,449

2011
£000’s

1,294
2,165

3,459

10,127

11,422

2012
£000’s

2011
£000’s

–
–

–

–

–
–

–

–

1  These deferred revenues result mainly from up-front license fees received in 2005 of £12.0 million from Almirall S.A. (deferred revenue balance as at 30 September 2012 – £6.6 
million, and 30 September 2011 – £7.4 million) and collaboration and technical access fees from other Sativex licensees. Amounts deferred under each agreement will be 
recognised in revenue as discussed in Note 2.

2  Advance payments received represents payments for research and development activities to be carried out in the next year on behalf of Otsuka. These amounts will be recognised 

as revenue in future periods as the services are rendered. 

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201262

Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year ended 30 September 2012

19. Financial Instruments
The Group manages its capital to ensure that entities in the Group will be able to continue as going concerns while maximising return 
to shareholders. The Group’s overall strategy remains unchanged from 2011.

Group senior management are responsible for monitoring and managing the financial risks relating to the operations of the Group, 
which include credit risk, market risks, arising from interest rate risk and currency risk and liquidity risk. The Board of Directors and 
the Audit Committee review and approve the internal policies for managing each of these risks, as summarised below. The Group is 
not subject to any externally imposed capital requirements.

The Group’s financial instruments as at 30 September, are summarised below. 

Categories of Financial Instruments

Financial Assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Taxation recoverable
Trade receivables – at amortised cost
Prepayments and accrued income
Other receivables

Total Financial Assets

Financial Liabilities
Other creditors and accruals
Trade payables – at amortised cost
Other taxation and social security
Obligations under finance leases

Total Financial Liabilities 

2012 
£000’s

2011 
£000’s

29,335
820
758
595
235

31,743

4,437
4,090
587
–

9,114

28,319
–
1,521
430
330

30,600

3,695
2,381
486
7

6,569

All financial assets and financial liabilities are current in nature.

In all instances the fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities approximates the carrying value due to the short-term nature of 
these instruments.

It is, and has been throughout the period under review, the Group’s policy that no speculative trading in financial instruments shall 
be undertaken. 

Credit Risk:
Credit risk refers to the risk that a counterparty will default on its contractual obligations resulting in financial loss to the Group. The 
Group has adopted a policy of only dealing with creditworthy counterparties, principally involving the major UK clearing banks and 
their wholly owned subsidiaries, when placing cash on deposit. In addition the Group operates a treasury policy that dictates the 
maximum cash balance that may be placed on deposit with any single institution or group. This policy is reviewed and approved from 
time to time by the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors.

Trade receivables represent amounts due from customers for the sale of commercial product and research funding from development 
partners, consisting primarily of a small number of major pharmaceutical companies where the credit risk is considered to be low. The 
Group seeks to minimise credit risk by offering only 30 days credit to commercial customers and by requesting payment in advance 
from its development partners for the majority of its research activities.

At the balance sheet date the maximum credit risk attributable to any individual counterparty was £13.0m (2011: £7.2m).
Trade receivables to the value of £26,000 (2011: nil) were past their due date and were provided against in full.

The carrying amount of the financial assets recorded in the financial statements represents the Group’s maximum exposure to credit 
risk as no collateral or other credit enhancements are held.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012 
63

19. Financial Instruments continued
Market Risk:
The Group’s activities expose it primarily to financial risks of changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. These risks 
are managed by maintaining an appropriate mix of cash deposits in various currencies, placed with a variety of financial institutions 
for varying periods according to the Group’s expected liquidity requirements. There has been no material change to the Group’s 
exposure to market risks or the manner in which it manages and measures risk. 

i) Interest Rate Risk
The Group is exposed to interest rate risk as it places surplus cash funds on deposit to earn interest income. The Group seeks to ensure 
that it consistently earns commercially competitive interest rates by using the services of an independent broker to identify and secure 
the best commercially available interest rates from those banks that meet the Group’s stringent counterparty credit rating criteria. In 
doing so the Group manages the term of cash deposits, up to a maximum of 365 days, in order to maximise interest earnings while 
also ensuring that it maintains sufficient readily available cash in order to meet short-term liquidity needs. 

Interest income of £200,000 (2011: £263,000) during the year ended 30 September 2012 was earned from deposits with a weighted 
average interest rate of 1.00% (2011: 0.86%). Therefore, a 100 basis point increase in interest rates would have increased interest 
income, and increased the profit for the year, by £200,000 (2011: £306,000).

The Group does not have any balance sheet exposure to assets or liabilities which would increase or decrease in fair value with 
changes to interest rates. 

ii) Currency Risk
The functional currency of the Company, and each of its subsidiaries is Pounds Sterling and the majority of transactions in the 
Group are denominated in that currency. However, the Group receives revenues and incurs expenditures in foreign currencies and 
is exposed to the effects of foreign exchange which are recorded in the income statement. The Group seeks to minimise this exposure 
by passively maintaining foreign currency cash balances at levels appropriate to meet foreseeable foreign currency expenditures, 
converting surplus foreign currency balances into pounds as soon as they arise. The Group does not use derivative contracts to 
manage exchange rate exposure.

The table below shows an analysis of year end cash and cash equivalents balances by currency:

Cash at bank and in hand:
Pounds Sterling
Euro
US Dollar 
Canadian Dollar

Total

Short-term deposits:
Sterling

Total cash and cash equivalents

2012 
£000’s

2011 
£000’s

7,779
683
4,600
228

13,290

16,045

29,335

2,183
1,219
2,848
5

6,254

22,065

28,319

The table below shows those transactional exposures that give rise to net currency gains and losses recognised in the income 
statement. Such exposures comprise the net monetary assets and monetary liabilities of the Group that are not denominated in the 
functional currency of the Group. As at 30 September these exposures were as follows:

Net Foreign Currency Assets/(Liabilities):

Euro
US Dollar
Canadian Dollar
Other

2012 
£000’s

2011 
£000’s

396
355
464
(24)

902
986
218
(39)

1,191

2,067

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201264

Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year ended 30 September 2012

19. Financial Instruments continued
Foreign Currency Sensitivity Analysis:
The most significant currencies in which the Group trades, other than Pounds Sterling, are the US Dollar and the Euro. The Group 
also trades in the Canadian Dollar; the Czech Crown and the Polish Zloty. The following table details the Group’s sensitivity to a 10% 
change in the key foreign currency exchange rates against Pounds Sterling:

Year Ended 30 September 2012

Profit before tax

Equity

Year Ended 30 September 2011

Profit before tax

Equity

Euro
£’000

US Dollar
£’000

Can Dollar
£’000

Other
£’000

40

40

36

36

46

46

Euro 
£’000

US Dollar 
£’000

Can Dollar 
£’000

90

90

99

99

22

22

(2)

(2)

Other 
£’000

(4)

(4)

Liquidity Risk:
Responsibility for liquidity risk management rests with the Board of Directors, which has built a liquidity risk management framework 
to enable the monitoring and management of short, medium and long-term cash requirements of the business. 

The Board of Directors actively monitor Group cash flows and regularly review projections of future cash requirements to ensure 
that appropriate levels of liquidity are maintained. The Group manages its short-term liquidity primarily by planning the maturity 
dates of cash deposits in order to time the availability of funds as liabilities fall due for payment. The Group does not maintain any 
borrowing facilities.

Cash deposits, classified as cash and cash equivalents on the balance sheet, comprise deposits placed on money markets for periods 
of up to three months and on call. The weighted average time for which the rate was fixed was 50 days (2011: 64 days). 

All of the Group’s financial liabilities at each balance sheet date have maturity dates of less than 12 months from the balance sheet 
date. There have been no material changes to the Group’s exposure to liquidity risks or the manner in which it manages and measures 
liquidity risk.

20. Share Capital
As at 30 September 2012 the authorised share capital of the Company and the allotted, called-up and fully paid amounts were as follows:

Authorised
200,000,000 ordinary shares of 0.1p each

Allotted, called-up and fully paid

Changes to the number of ordinary shares in issue have been as follows:

As at 1 October 2010

Exercise of share options
As at 30 September 2011

Exercise of share options

As at 30 September 2012

The Company has one class of ordinary shares which carry no right to fixed income.

2012 
£000’s

2011 
£000’s

200

133

200

133

Number of 
shares

131,197,792

1,857,362
133,055,154

315,200

133,370,354

Total 
nominal 
value 
£000’s

131

2
133

–

133

Total share 
premium 
£000’s

Total 
consideration 
£000’s

1,433

1,435

81

81

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201265

21. Share-based Payments
The Company operates various equity-settled share option schemes for employees of the Group. In addition, options have been issued 
to a small number of expert consultants in return for services provided to the Group.

All options granted under these schemes are exercisable at the share price on the date of the grant, with the exception of options issued 
under the GW Pharmaceuticals Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) which are issued with an exercise price equivalent to the par value 
of the shares under option. 

The vesting period for all options granted is three years from the date of grant and the options lapse after 10 years. 

Options generally lapse if the employee leaves the Group before the options vest. However, at the discretion of the Remuneration 
Committee, under the “Good Leaver” provisions of the share option scheme rules, employees may be allowed to retain some or all of 
the share options upon ceasing employment by the Group. Vested options usually need to be exercised within six months of leaving. 

Under the terms of the LTIP employees are awarded options to subscribe for the Company’s ordinary shares at an exercise price 
equivalent to the par value of the shares under option. These options are subject to performance conditions which must be achieved 
before the options vest and become exercisable. In the event that the performance conditions are not achieved within the required 
three year vesting period these options will lapse. Once vested, an award may be exercised at any time prior to the tenth anniversary 
of the date of grant.

LTIP awards granted to Executive Directors are subject to performance conditions which are determined by the Remuneration 
Committee. These are usually a mixture of market-based and non-market-based performance conditions which are intended to link 
executive compensation to the key value drivers for the business whilst aligning the interests of the Executive Directors with those of 
shareholders and employees.

LTIPs are also granted to other Group employees from time to time. These grants are usually made subject to performance conditions 
which are linked to a combination of corporate objectives and personal objectives for the individual to achieve prior to the vesting date. 

The number of outstanding options under each scheme can be summarised as follows:

Employee Share option schemes
Employee Long Term Incentive Plan awards
Consultant Share options

Options outstanding at 30 September

30 Sept 
2012 
Number 
of share 
options

30 Sept 
2011 
Number 
of share 
options

6,462,379
4,591,765
612,456

6,867,829
3,458,345
714,956

11,666,600 11,041,130

The movement in share options in each scheme during the year can be summarised as follows:

Employee 
options

Number 
of share 
options

10,579,516
–
(1,758,562)
(1,953,125)

6,867,829
–
(95,200)
(310,250)

Employee 
LTIP

Number 
of share 
options

2,572,582
913,763
–
(28,000)

3,458,345
1,326,770
(190,000)
(3,350)

Weighted 
average 
exercise 
price £

1.31
–
0.79
2.06

1.23
–
0.76
1.14

Outstanding at 1 October 2010
Granted during the year
Exercised during the year
Expired during the year

Outstanding at 1 October 2011
Granted during the year
Exercised during the year
Expired during the year

Outstanding at 30 September 2012

6,462,379

1.24

4,591,765

Consultant 
options

Number 
of share 
options

1,060,256
–
(98,800)
(246,500)

714,956
–
(30,000)
(72,500)

612,456

Total 
options

Number 
of share 
options

Weighted 
average 
exercise 
price £ 

–

1.42 14,212,354
913,763
0.48 (1,857,362)
2.10 (2,227,625)

1.32 11,041,130
1,326,770
(315,200)
(386,100)

–
0.29
1.22

0.76 11,666,600

Weighted 
average 
exercise 
price £

0.001
0.001
0.001
0.001

0.001
0.001
0.001
0.001

0.001

Weighted 
average 
exercise 
price £

1.08
0.001
0.77
2.04

0.85
0.001
0.26
1.15

0.76

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201266

Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year ended 30 September 2012

21. Share-based Payments continued
Share options outstanding at 30 September 2012 can be summarised as follows:

Employee 
options

Number 
of share 
options

10,000
3,025,117
1,656,372
918,498
852,392

Range of exercise prices

£0.01–£0.50
£0.51–£1.00
£1.01–£1.50
£1.51–£2.00
£2.01–£2.50

Outstanding at 30 September 2012

6,462,379

Exercisable at 30 September 2012

6,462,379

Employee 
LTIP

Consultant 
options

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
contractual 
life/years 

6.0
3.5
2.8
0.3
1.3

2.6

2.6

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
contractual 
life/years

7.9
–
–
–
–

7.9

6.1

Number 
of share 
options

4,591,765
–
–
–
–

4,591,765

1,443,132

Number 
of share 
options

30,000
85,000
375,096
72,360
50,000

612,456

612,456

Total 
options

Number 
of share 
options

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
Contractual 
life/years

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
contractual 
life/years

7.2
0.8
2.6
0.8
0.8

4,631,765
3,110,117
2,031,468
990,858
902,392

1.9 11,666,600

1.9

7,674,835

7.9
3.4
2.8
0.3
1.3

4.7

3.1

Share options outstanding at 30 September 2011 can be summarised as follows:

Employee 
options

Number 
of share 
options

10,000
3,127,817
1,953,322
1,776,690
–

Range of Exercise prices

£0.01–£0.50
£0.51–£1.00
£1.01–£1.50
£1.51–£2.00
£2.01–£2.50

Outstanding at 30 September 2011

6,867,829

Exercisable at 30 September 2011

6,867,829

Employee 
LTIP

Consultant 
options

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
contractual 
life/years 

7.0
4.5
3.3
1.8
–

3.5

3.5

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
contractual 
life/years

8.2
–
–
–
–

8.2

6.5

Number 
of share 
options

3,458,345
–
–
–
–

3,458,345

600,000

Number 
of share 
options

60,000
85,000
360,996
158,960
50,000

714,956

714,956

Total 
options

Number 
of share 
options

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
Contractual 
life/years

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
contractual 
life/years

8.2
1.8
2.9
1.8
1.8

3,528,345
3,212,817
2,314,318
1,935,650
50,000

2.9 11,041,130

2.9

8,182,785

8.2
4.4
3.2
1.8
1.8

4.4

3.7

Charges for share-based payments have been allocated to the Research and Development and Management and administrative 
expenses lines of the consolidated income statement as follows:

Research and development expenditure
Management and administrative expenses

2012 
£000’s

450
559

1,009

2011 
£000’s

389
406

795

In the year ended 30 September 2012, options were granted on 15 December 2011, 23 March 2012, 31 May 2012, 6 June 2012 and 
1 July 2012. The aggregate of the estimated fair values of the options granted on those dates is £1.1m and the weighted average fair 
value of the awards made during 2012 was £0.82 per option.

In the year ended 30 September 2011, options were granted on 8 June 2011 and 1 September 2011. The aggregate of the estimated 
fair values of the options granted on those dates is £1.2m and the weighted average fair value of the awards made during 2011 was 
£1.19 per option.

Fair values were calculated using the Black-Scholes share option pricing model. The following weighted average assumptions were 
used in calculating these fair values: 

Weighted average share price
Weighted average exercise price
Expected volatility
Expected life
Risk-free rate
Expected dividend yield

2012

2011

83p
0.1p
52%
5.0 Years
0.5%
Nil

108p
0.1p
68%
5.0 Years
0.5%
Nil

Expected volatility was determined by calculating the historical volatility of the Group’s share price over the previous three years. The 
expected life used in the model has been adjusted, based on management’s best estimate, for the effects of non-transferability, exercise 
restrictions, performance conditions and behavioural considerations.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201267

22. Warrants
Warrants to subscribe for ordinary shares in the Company are as shown below:

Warrant Holder
Great Point Partners
Great Point Partners

Total

At 1 Oct 
2011 
Number

Warrants 
granted 
Number

Warrants 
exercised 
Number

Warrants 
lapsed 
Number

At 30 
Sept 2012 
Number

Date of 
issue

Exercise 
price

Date of 
expiry

1,888,480
1,888,480

3,776,960

–
–

–

–
–

–

–
–

–

1,888,480
1,888,480

3,776,960

13/08/09
13/08/09

105.0p
175.0p

13/08/14
13/08/14

The above warrants were issued to Great Point Partners on 13 August 2009 at a time when the mid-market price for GW 
Pharmaceuticals ordinary shares of the Company was 78.0p. The warrant issue was concurrent with the issue of 7,553,920 new 
ordinary shares to Great Point partners at 78.0p per share.

The warrants can be exercised at any time prior to their expiry on 13 August 2014.

The fair value of the warrants on the date of issue was £0.9 million which was previously recorded as a component of the share 
premium account. Having reassessed the rights of the warrants, the Directors have considered it appropriate to restate equity to reflect 
the inclusion of the fair value of the warrants as a component of Other reserves, rather than the share premium account. This 
reclassification did not result in any change to profit or total equity for any reporting period presented herein.

23. Other Reserves
Other reserves of £20.2m relate to £19.3m of merger reserve and £0.9m of warrants reserve. The warrants reserve is discussed in note 22. 
The merger reserve was created as a result of the acquisition by the Company of the entire issued share capital of GW Pharma Ltd in 2001. 
This acquisition was effected by a share for share exchange which was merger accounted under UK Generally Accepted Accounting 
Practice, or UK GAAP, in accordance with the merger relief provisions of section 131 of the Companies Act 1985 (as amended) relating to 
the accounting for business combinations involving the issue of shares at a premium. Merger relief provided relief from the requirement to 
create a share premium account in a Parent Company’s balance sheet. In preparing consolidated financial statements, the amount by 
which the fair value of the shares issued exceeded their nominal value was recorded within a merger reserve on consolidation, rather than 
in a share premium account. The merger reserve was retained upon transition to IFRS, as allowed under UK law. This reserve is not 
considered to be distributable.

ESOP Reserve
The Group’s “ESOP” is an Inland Revenue approved all employee share scheme constituted under a trust deed. The trust holds shares 
in the Company for the benefit of and as an incentive for the employees of the Group. The trustee of the ESOP is GWP Trustee 
Company Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Costs incurred by the trust are expensed in the Group’s financial 
statements as incurred. Distributions from the trust are made in accordance with the scheme rules and on the recommendation of the 
Board of Directors of the Company.

Shares held in trust represent issued and fully paid up 0.1p ordinary shares and remain eligible to receive dividends. The shares held by 
the ESOP were originally acquired in 2000 for nil consideration by way of a gift from a shareholder and hence the balance on the ESOP 
reserve is nil (2011: nil).

As at 30 September the ESOP held the following shares:

Unconditionally vested in employees
Conditionally gifted to employees
Shares available for future distribution to employees

Total

2012 
Number

228,607
173,951
34,706

2011 
Number

260,331
186,341
22,316

437,264

468,988

The valuation methodology used to compute the share-based payment charge was based on fair value at the grant date, which is 
determined by the application of a Black-Scholes share option pricing model. The assumptions underlying the Black-Scholes model for the 
ESOP shares are as detailed in Note 21 relating to the LTIP awards. The exercise price for shares granted under the ESOP is nil and the 
vesting conditions include employment by the Group over the three year vesting period from the date of grant. The share-based payment 
charge for shares granted under the ESOP plan amounted to £33,441 in the year ended 30 September 2012 (2011: £50,231).

As at 30 September 2012 the number and market value of shares held by the trust which have not yet unconditionally vested in 
employees is 208,657 (2011: 208,657) and £0.2m (2011: £0.2m) respectively.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201268

Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year ended 30 September 2012

24. Financial Commitments
The Group had capital commitments for property, plant and equipment contracted but not provided for at 30 September 2012 of 
£0.1m (2011: £0.2m). 

At the balance sheet date the Group had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable 
operating leases, which fall due as follows:

– within one year
– between two and five years
– after five years

Group 
2012 
£000’s

987
2,375
–

3,362

Group 
2011 
£000’s

955
3,442
–

4,397

Company 
2012 
£000’s

Company 
2011 
£000’s

–
–
–

–

–
–
–

–

The minimum lease payments payable under operating leases recognised as an expense in the year were £1.0m (2011: £0.8m).

Operating lease payments represent rentals payable by the Group for certain of its leased properties. Manufacturing and laboratory 
facilities are subject to 10 year leases with a seven year lease break at the Group’s option. Office properties are usually leased for one 
year or less with the exception of the London property, which is on a five year lease and the Histon property which is on a 10 year lease 
with a five year break.

25. Contingent Liabilities
The Group may, from time to time, be involved in legal proceedings that are incidental to the Group’s operations. The Group is not 
currently involved in any legal or arbitration proceedings which may have, or have had in the 12 months preceding the date of this 
report, a material effect on the consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity of the Group. 

26. Subsequent events
Subsequent to the year-end the Group has entered into an arrangement for the construction of some new lease premises for occupation 
during 2014. If the lease premises are not taken up the Group is liable to repay costs of up to £1.05m to the landlord.

27. Related Party Transactions
Remuneration of Key Management Personnel:
The remuneration of the Directors, who are the key management personnel of the Group, is set out below in aggregate for each of the 
categories specified in IAS 24 Related Party Disclosures. 

Short-term employee benefits
Post-employment benefits
Share-based payments

2012 
£000’s

1,664
158
831

2,653

2011 
£000’s

1,426
171
625

2,222

Other Related Party Transactions:
Group:
During the year the Group purchased services in the ordinary course of business from Brian Whittle Associates Limited, a company 
controlled by Brian Whittle, a former Director and substantial shareholder of the Company, at a cost of £3,000 (2011: £19,000). As at 
30 September 2012 there was no amount due to Brian Whittle Associates Limited (2011: nil).

Upon the retirement of David Kirk from the Board of Directors of the Company, on 1 June 2012, the Remuneration Committee agreed 
that, in accordance with the “Good Leaver” provisions of the share option scheme rules, David Kirk would be allowed to retain all of 
his outstanding share options after leaving the employment of the Group. 

This includes:
•	 1.2m share options, with a weighted average exercise price of £1.48 and a weighted average time to expiry of 1.9 years.
•	 0.3m of vested LTIP awards with a 0.1p exercise price and a weighted average time to expiry of 6.0 years. 
•	 0.3m of unvested LTIP award, with a 0.1p exercise price and weighted average time to expiry of 8.25 years. 

The unvested options remain subject to the performance conditions and shall only become exercisable if the Group achieves the 
performance conditions before the vesting date. All vested options shall remain available to exercise at any time prior to their expiry 
upon the tenth anniversary of their date of grant.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201269

27. Related Party Transactions continued
Company:
During 2012, the Company advanced funds to GW Research Limited, in order to fund Group pipeline research and development 
activities. This took the form of a long-term loan, bearing interest at 5% per annum. The balance due to the Company at 30 September 
2012 was £16.6m (30 Sept 2011: £nil). As a long-term loan, this has been disclosed within the Company balance sheet as an 
investment – see note 27.

During 2012, the Company was a net borrower of funds from GW Pharma Limited. At 30 September 2012, the amount due from the 
Company to GW Pharma Limited was £2.0m (30 Sept 2011: £0.6m).

As noted in note 6, on 1 September 2012, the Company received a dividend payment of £30.0m from GW Pharma Limited. No dividends 
were received in the prior year.

28. Investments
Principal Group Investments
The Company has investments in the following significant subsidiary undertakings:

Company

At 1 October 2011
Add capital contribution in respect of share-based payment charge
Additional funds advanced during year

At 30 September 2012

Loans to 
Group 
undertakings
£000’s

–
–
16,601

16,601

Investments
£000’s

77,495
1,009
–

78,504

Total
£000’s

77,495
1,009
16,601

95,105

The Group has investments in the following significant subsidiary undertakings:

Name of undertaking

Country of registration

Activity

% holding

GW Pharma Limited
GW Research Limited
Cannabinoid Research Institute Limited
Guernsey Pharmaceuticals Limited
GWP Trustee Company Limited
G-Pharm Trustee Company Limited
G-Pharm Limited 

England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales
Guernsey
England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales

Research and Development
Research and Development
Research and Development
Research and Development
Employee Share Ownership
Dormant
Dormant

100
100
100
100
100
100
100

All the subsidiary undertakings are included in the consolidated accounts.

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201270

Notes

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012Notes

71

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 201272

Notes

GW Pharmaceuticals plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2012Principal Bankers
HSBC Bank plc
70 Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5EZ

Public Relations Advisers
FTI Consulting
Holborn Gate
Southampton Buildings
London WC2A 1PB

Registrars
Capita Registrars
Northern House
Woodsome Park
Fenay Bridge
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire HD8 0LA

Advisers

Registered Office
GW Pharmaceuticals plc
Porton Down Science Park
Salisbury
Wiltshire SP4 0JQ
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1980 557000
F: +44 (0)1980 557111
E: info@gwpharm.com

Registered Number
04160917 England and Wales

Nominated Adviser and Broker
Peel Hunt LLP
120 London Wall
London EC2Y 5ET

Financial Adviser
N M Rothschild & Sons Limited
New Court
St. Swithin’s Lane
London EC4P 4DU

Solicitors to the Company
Mayer Brown LLP
201 Bishopsgate
London EC2M 3AF

Auditors
Deloitte LLP
Abbots House
Abbey Street
Reading
Berkshire RG1 3BD

Cautionary statement:
This annual report contains forward-looking statements that 
reflect GW’s current expectations regarding future events, 
including development and regulatory clearance of GW’s 
products. Forward-looking statements involve risks and 
uncertainties. Actual results and events could differ materially 
from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors, 
including (inter alia), the success of GW’s research strategies, the 
applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and 
timely completion of uncertainties related to the regulatory 
process, and the acceptance of Sativex® and other products by 
consumer and medical professionals. The forward-looking 
statements reflect knowledge and information available at the 
date of preparation of this annual report and the Company 
undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking 
statements. Nothing in this annual report should be construed 
as a profit forecast.

G

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GW Pharmaceuticals plc 
Porton Down Science Park
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP4 0JQ
UK

T: +44 (0)1980 557000
F: +44 (0)1980 557111
www.gwpharm.com