New multiple sclerosis drug authorised for use on the NHS in Scotland
A new drug for multiple sclerosis (MS) has been approved for use on the NHS in Scotland.
MS Society Scotland welcomed the announcement that ponesimod (brand name Ponvory) has been given the green light by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for people with active relapsing MS as defined by clinical or imaging features on a MRI.
The treatment is taken as a daily tablet and has been shown to reduce relapse rates for people living with the condition.
As an oral treatment it holds advantages over injectable therapies in simple administering and by reducing the complications from regular injections.
In MS myelin, the fatty coating around nerves that protects them and helps messages pass along them easily, is damaged.
Ponesimod works by reducing the damage to myelin by altering the behaviour of immune cells, stopping them from entering the brain and spinal cord.
In MS, immune cells move across the blood-brain-barrier into the brain and spinal cord and attack the protective myelin coating that surrounds nerve fibres. Ponesimod retains certain immune cells in the body’s lymph nodes, preventing these cells damaging the nerves.
The treatment has been shown in trials to reduce the number of relapses people experience by nearly a third (30.5 per cent) when compared to another available alternative. A MS relapse is when existing symptoms suddenly worsen or new ones appear.
Ponesimod was also found to be more effective at improving fatigue symptoms, one of the most common invisible symptoms of MS, when compared with another available treatment.
It is one of a number of disease modifying therapies (DMTs) which can reduce how many relapses someone has and how serious they are. They can also slow down the damage caused by relapsing MS that builds up over time.
The treatment joins 17 other DMTs available on NHS Scotland. A little over two decades ago there were no such treatments available.
More than 15,000 people are living with the condition in Scotland, one of the highest rates in the world.
MS is a life-long, progressive neurological condition affecting the central nervous system. It causes the immune system to attack the brain or spinal cord, resulting in damage to the protective coating of myelin around the nerve fibres.
This can lead to a large range of symptoms, among them muscle weakness, stiffness and difficulty walking.
MS Society Scotland hailed the announcement and the positive effect it could have for people across the country.
Director Morna Simpkins said: “It’s very welcome that ponesimod has been approved for use on the NHS in Scotland.
“MS is relentless, painful, and disabling, and this treatment increases the options for people to manage their condition and help prevent symptoms.
“Our community’s experiences tell us just how big a difference having different treatments available can make.
“We hope that appraisal bodies in other parts of the UK follow suit as soon as possible, so everyone with MS can access ponesimod if it is the right option for them.
“We have never been closer to stopping MS, and this is just the latest in a number of new treatments which have been made available in the past few years for the 15,000 people living with MS in Scotland.”
This announcement follows an interim decision from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) not to approve ponesimod for use in England and Wales. This is not the final decision and NICE will consider feedback before reviewing it.
For more information about MS, ponesimod, and the latest developments in research, visit www.mssociety.org.uk
The MS Society also has a free helpline on 0808 800 8000.
