News NHS Wales Approves Biogen’s Plegridy for Relapsing Remitting MS NHS Wales Approves Biogen’s Plegridy for Relapsing Remitting MS by Patricia Silva, PhD | July 22, 2015 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link Relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treatment PlegridyĀ (peg interferon beta-1a) by Biogen Idec, has just received Welsh NHS approval, which should make it available to patients by late October 2015. The decisionĀ follows NHS Scotland’s approval earlier this year, however, theĀ biweekly interferon beta shot has yet to be madeĀ available in England’s NICE healthcare system.Ā Plegridy was approved across several countries in the European Union in July of 2014. “The approval of Plegridy in Wales is good news for people with MS who experience relapses. It gives them a wider choice of treatment with the option to inject less frequently. Choosing which disease modifying drug is best for you is an important decision which should be made in partnership with your neurologist and MS specialist nurse,” saidĀ Amy Bowen, the Director of Service Development at MS Trust. TheĀ novel treatment was formulated by incorporating polyethylene glycol to interferon beta 1a, allowing the drug to remain in the body for a much longer time. The therapyĀ is administered only once every two weeks, making it a significantly more convenient option for patients living with theĀ life-long disease.Ā Previously completed clinical studies demonstratedĀ Plegridy as an equivalent toĀ interferon beta 1a, as it has the ability to reduce RRMS relapse rates by about a third, compared to placebo. Common side effects are minimal, and include minor inflammation or discomfort at the site of injection. In an earlier report related toĀ RRMS treatment, an international team led by researchers at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland revealed that a short period of 8 to 12 weeks is the optimal timing forĀ patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to beĀ switched from natalizumab to fingolimod therapy. The study was recently published in the journal Neurology and is entitled āSwitching from natalizumab to fingolimod, A randomized, placebo-controlled study in RRMS.ā Oral fingolimod (0.5 mg, once-daily) is an efficient therapy for relapsing forms of MS. Previous studies have suggested that fingolimod has a beneficial effect in terms of relapses in patients who discontinued natalizumab treatment, and could therefore be considered a potential suitable switch therapy from natalizumab. Print This Page About the Author Patricia Silva, PhD PatrĆcia holds a PhD in medical microbiology and infectious diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. Her work in academia was mainly focused on molecular biology and the genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites. PatrĆcia earned several travel awards to present her work at international scientific meetings. She is a published author of several peer-reviewed science articles. Tags Biogen Idec, MS Trust, NHS, peginterferon beta-1a, Plegridy, RRMS
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