MS Society calls for help in getting drug approval

The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society is appealing for help to get two new tablets for treatment of the disease approved by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (Nice).

A survey launched by the charity asks people with relapsing remitting MS to share their thoughts on injecting disease modification therapies.

The society is hoping that this research will persuade Nice that these oral therapies should be available on the NHS.

Nice are currently in the licensing and review phase with the two drugs, cladribine and fingolimod, which passed final clinical trials earlier this year, the MS Society claims.

In its role as the drugs regulator, Nice will look at the drugs' cost effectiveness to decide whether they should be available through the public sector.

The MS Society's findings from the survey will be submitted by the end of April, the charity added.

Around 100,000 people in the UK live with MS, according to the MS Society, with some people experiencing the disease as periods of relapse and remission.

Read about Barchester expertise in offering multiple sclerosis support.