May 2, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: PoNS, MS Survey, Nerve Damage Biomarker, Tolebrutinib PoNS Device for MS-associated Gait Problems Now Available in US One clinical trial showed that MS patients who used the portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device as part of an exercise program had greater improvements in gait than those using only the exercise program. A second trial showed that those…
April 29, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Survey Results Show Impact of MS in All Aspects of Life Multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) affects all aspects of life, from physical and mental health to relationships, and from work and finances to hobbies and holidays, according to results from an online survey conducted by the U.K.ās MS Trust. Most respondents said they wanted more support to manage their fatigue, improve…
March 18, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS Nurses in UK Burdened by Heavier Caseloads, Survey Shows You might be wondering why a Yank like me is writing about multiple sclerosis care in the United Kingdom. It’s because a survey caught my eye the other day that I think deserves a closer look. The survey, conducted by the MS Trust and reported by MS News…
March 10, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS Trust Survey: UK Nurses Treating ‘Unsustainable’ Numbers of Patients The number of nurses in the U.K. with a specialty in multiple sclerosis (MS) care rose significantlyĀ between 2018 and 2021, but these specialists on average carry a patient caseload that’s 50% higher than recommended, as a pronounced rise in MS cases was also noted, the MS Trust reports.
September 14, 2021 News by Mary Chapman MS Trust Welcomes School Year With ‘Awareness Pack’ for Children The MS Trust has put together a free School Awareness Pack aimed at raising the profile of multiple sclerosis (MS) and dispelling some common disease misunderstandings in schools. Designed for teachers, school staff members, and students, the pack consists of information about MS and the U.K. patient…
May 17, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD NICE Again Says No to Adding Zeposia to Health System for England and Wales The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has maintained its initial draft recommendation and will not recommend that Zeposia (ozanimod) be added to the National Health Service (NHS) of England and Wales. This final decision on the cost effectiveness of the oral therapy means Zeposia will…
April 14, 2021 News by Diana Campelo Delgado MS Trust Invites Youth Touched by Disease to Join as ‘MSTV Reporters’ The MS TrustĀ welcomes adolescents with a connection to multiple sclerosis (MS) to join as reporters for its YouTube channel, the U.K. charity announced. Since its April 2018 launch, MSTVĀ has featured young people with MS or those close to them sharing their experiences and first-hand knowledge through…
February 9, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Zeposia Tablets Approved in Scotland to Treat Active RRMS The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has approvedĀ Zeposia (ozanimod)Ā for the treatment of active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Zeposia is sold as a tablet, to be taken by mouth once daily. The SMC has recommended that Zeposia be prescribed for people with RRMS who experience relapses or have evidence of…
January 25, 2021 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD NICE Opposes Zeposia Being Added to RRMS Therapies in UK’s Health Service The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not recommend Zeposia (ozanimod) be available at low or no cost through the National Health Service (NHS) to treat adults with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)Ā living in England and Wales. In a recentĀ draft recommendation, NICE stated thatĀ …
November 16, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New MS Trust Funding Will Help Improve Patient Support During Pandemic The U.K.’s MS Trust has been awarded Ā£50,000 (about $65,800) from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund ā distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund ā to further its “Supporting the MS community during Covid-19” project. Expected to run for six months, the project aims…
October 15, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Mayzent Approved for Active Secondary Progressive MS in Scotland The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has approved Mayzent (siponimod) for the treatment of active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) in Scotland. Mayzent, developed by Novartis, is a tablet taken once daily to counter a person’s disability progression. SPMS gradually develops from relapsing-remitting MS, and is…
July 23, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD UK Health Services Failing MS Patient Needs Under Pandemic, Survey Finds A vast majority ā 7 out of every 10 ā healthcare professionals working with multiple sclerosis (MS) patients across the U.K. believe health services are failing to meet their needs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an online survey conducted by theĀ MS SocietyĀ and the MS…
July 15, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Vital Neurological Care Missing During Pandemic, UK Survey Finds The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting vital care and support for those with neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent report from the Neurological AllianceĀ in the U.K. The report is based upon survey responses from over 1,600 people with neurological conditions in that…
June 26, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS NICE Does Not Favor Adding Mayzent to NHS England for Active SPMS TheĀ National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is recommending againstĀ Mayzent (siponimod) as a treatment for active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) in the U.K., because its cost-effectiveness relative to an existing treatment for these patients is not known. NICE’s draft guidance for Mayzent is open…
June 9, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Biogen, MS Trust Open ‘ACT Myself’ to Help With Emotional Well-being A new digital tool aims to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) deal with the emotional burden of their diagnosis, guiding them to focus on what matters most in their lives rather than the pain of living with MS. The self-help tool, named ACT MySelf, was developed by…
February 17, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Number of People with MS in UK More Than Previously Estimated New data from Public Health England (PHE) and the U.K. MS Society show that the number of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United Kingdom is now more than 130,000 ā about one in every 500 people living in the country. This is an increase of…
January 27, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS NICE Approves Plegridy as RRMS Treatment Offered by NHS England The National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE) in the U.K. issued its final decision, approving the inclusion of Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a) to treatĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in England within the National Health Service (NHS). This decision follows a cost-effectiveness review done in May 2018,…
January 16, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Scottish Medicines Consortium Approves Ocrevus for Treating PPMS Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) has been approved in Scotland as a treatment for early, inflammatory primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has advised that OcrevusĀ can be prescribed by the National Health Service (NHS) forĀ people with PPMS who have had symptoms for less than 15…
November 13, 2019 News by Mary Chapman Sativex, Cannabis Extract for MS Spasticity, Now Available to Select Patients in England The cannabis sativa plant extract SativexĀ is a cost-effective therapy for spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS) and can be offered to patients in England needing it on at least a monthlong trial basis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said in issuing a final…
April 24, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD MS Trust Promotes Multiple Initiatives in UK to Encourage Exercise The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Trust, a charity organization that provides support to MS patients in the United Kingdom, is urging them to remain active and find ways to introduce physical activity into their daily routine, as part of its “Move it for MS” campaign. The organization’s…
February 4, 2019 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc MS Trust Opens ‘Advanced MS Champions’ Program to Bring Better Care to UK Patients Healthcare specialists forĀ multiple sclerosis patients in the U.K. with advanced disease and challenging needs are getting support and recognition through a new program from the MS Trust. Called theĀ Advanced MS Champions Programme, it will recognize six MS specialist “champions” working with people with advanced MS, and their families…
January 15, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc UK Experts Propose New Guidelines to Treat Women with MS Before, During, After Pregnancy Multiple sclerosis (MS) experts in the United Kingdom have proposed consensus guidelines for the management and treatment of pregnant women with the disease, and couples affected by MS who are planning a pregnancy. The new guidelines are expected to reduce uncertainty about treatments that are considered to be safe and…
November 19, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD MS Therapy Fampyra Again Not Recommended for Use in Scottish National Health System The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) issued a negative recommendation on the use of Fampyra (fampridine; marketed as Ampyra in the U.S.) in the National Health System (NHS), for the…
November 13, 2018 News by Alberto Molano, PhD Heavy Caseloads for MS Specialist Nurses in UK Compromise Patient Care, MS Trust Reports Nurses who specialize in treatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the U.K. are handling heavier caseloads than recommended or preferred, resulting in patients going without the necessary care and support they deserve, theĀ MS TrustĀ reports. Particularly, the 2018 report notes that newer treatments require more complex and careful monitoring. However,Ā it…
November 2, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD NICE Postpones Final Opinion on Adding Ocrevus to Public Health System for PPMS Patients in UK A final and weighty opinion regarding whetherĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā will be among treatments available at low or no cost to primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) patients in England and Wales ā through the National Health Service (NHS) āĀ has been put on hold, according to the Multiple Sclerosis Trust. The…
February 2, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc MS Trust Seeking PPMS Patients’ Views on Ocrevus as It Tries to Obtain British Coverage Britain’sĀ Multiple Sclerosis TrustĀ is asking patients to help them getĀ the National Health ServiceĀ to cover Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) as a treatment forĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosis, or PPMS. The key step is trying to persuade the National Institute for Health and Care ExcellenceĀ to recommend that the health service…
January 10, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Extavia Is the Only Therapy for MS with Relapses That Britain Should Cover, Board Says A British board that recommends what treatments the National Health ServiceĀ should cover has advised the system to use onlyĀ Extavia (interferon beta 1b) as a treatment for MS patients who continue to have relapses. Cost was at the heart of the National Institute for Health and Care…
June 9, 2017 News by Charles Moore MS Trust Project to Bring Needed Services to People with Advanced MS Wins October Club’s Support The British fundraising groupĀ The October Club and The MS Trust, aĀ U.K. multiple sclerosis research and support organization,Ā have announcedĀ an ambitious planĀ toĀ potentially helpĀ thousands of advanced MS patientsĀ in need of services. Composed ofĀ people working in the financial equity industry in London, The October Club raises money for a differentĀ charity each yearĀ through…
November 9, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD UK Announces New Employment Support Package for Health-Disabled People The British government announced on Oct. 31 that a new Personal Support Package will be available for people with health disabilities, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), ensuring theyĀ receive personalized health and employment support. A Green Paper ā a government document for consultation ā is available online to open…
October 5, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Trust to Oppose NICE Plan to Reject Zinbryta as MS Therapy in Health System for England, Wales The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Trust isĀ expressing its disappointment at the recent committee decision ofĀ theĀ National Institute for Health and Care ExcellenceĀ (NICE)Ā to not recommendĀ Zinbryta (daclizumab) be made available as a therapy to MSĀ patients using the public health system in England and Wales. NICE’sĀ preliminary recommendationĀ was based on a review of…