New MS drug to be rolled out in the UK
NHS England have revealed that thousands of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are eligible for a 10-minute injection that can help slow the diseases’ progression.
A medicine, known as ocrelizumab, is currently given in hospitals. It is provided as an infusion through a vein – a process that can take up to four hours. However, experts have created a new method in which the drug can be given via a 10-minute injection twice a year and it can help halt the symptoms of two types of MS. What’s more, it cuts the time people need to spend in hospital by more than 90%.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have given the greenlight to the rollout, which means the NHS would be one of the first healthcare systems in the world to offer the new injection.
‘This new injection will drastically cut the time that regular treatment takes for those living with multiple sclerosis, meaning that thousands of patients can spend less time in hospital while helping free up clinicians’ time to see more patients as well as vital capacity on wards,’ said Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England’s medical director.
‘Ocrelizumab has represented a huge advance in care in recent years as the first drug able to change the course of the disease, and we hope this innovative and speedier option will now make another significant difference in improving patients’ quality of life and help thousands avoid longer stints in hospital for treatment.’
As it stands, around 9,000 patients in England are receiving ocrelizumab via an infusion in hospital to treat their active relapsing or primary progressive MS. The drug works by targeting a type of immune cell called the B cell, which helps reduce the body’s immune system response by stopping the cells from attacking and damaging myelin – an insulating layer that forms around nerves, including those in the brain and spinal cord, and becomes damaged in people with MS.
It goes without saying that the introduction of this new injection is an extremely positive step towards MS research. Previously, clinical trials have shown the injection is just as effective as the IV treatment, with 97% of patients experiencing no relapses in their condition and no development of brain lesions in almost a year.
According to NHS England, the jabs will be made available within weeks.
Image: Mufid Majnun
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