NICE Reconsiders Fingolimod for MS

British drug regulator NICE has overturned its initial rejection of drug fingolimod due to cost concerns

British drug regulator National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has overturned its initial rejection of drug fingolimod due to cost concerns and said that it can be used to treat people with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis.

The drug, sold under the brand name Gilenya by Novartis, has an annual cost of £20,000 per patient and analysts believe that it could help thousands of patients with relapsing MS with recent studies showing that it can reduce the number of relapses by as much as 60 percent.

Multiple sclerosis - Symptoms - Causes - Diagnosis - Treatment
Multiple sclerosis can be a severely disabling autoimmune disease that affects the myelin or insulating layer of the nerve fibers and typically has remissions and relapses

Stating that the drug was a cost effective option for NHS, Professor Carole Longson, Director of the Health Technology Evaluation Centre at NICE said, “Following new information provided during the consultation, the analyses show that for these people, treatment with fingolimod will be a cost effective option for the NHS in this group of people with multiple sclerosis, if Novartis provides the drug at a discounted price, as proposed in its patient access scheme.”

Source-Medindia

Multiple Sclerosis – Treatment to Reduce Symptoms and Modify course of Disease
Multiple sclerosis is treated with drugs that modify the course of the disease, suppress immunity and relieve symptoms.

Vitamin B12 - An Essential Vitamin
If you feel that the persistent or regular incidences of depression have got nothing to do with what you eat, think again. The reason behind low spirits can be due to insufficient levels vitamin B12.