This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Scottish MS patients finally given access to oral MS drug Gilenya®



The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has today announced that Gilenya® (fingolimod), the world’s first pill for the treatment of highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), has now been approved for restricted use within NHS Scotland.

Today’s decision means that people with highly active RRMS not responding to treatment with first-line interferon injections now have the option of switching to fingolimod as their next step, bringing Scotland in line with the rest of the UK. Until now, people with MS in Scotland have had to self-inject at least weekly or travel to hospital for infusions to manage their condition.

As part of today’s landmark decision, SMC clinical experts recognised the significant unmet need for an effective oral treatment for those people failing on first-line interferon injections, highlighting the important patient and service benefits an oral treatment would bring.

Having reviewed a wealth of data, including sub-group data, the SMC acknowledged the clinical effectiveness of fingolimod as part of its decision. The SMC recognised that fingolimod significantly reduced relapse rates (by 52%) when compared to a standard injection (interferon β-1a IM). Furthermore, they noted that fingolimod showed broadly similar efficacy and demonstrated cost-savings when compared to infusion therapy (natalizumab).... Read More - http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseact ... ageid/1309

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