Press Release

MS Society calls on NICE to revise Tysabri assessment

24 April 2007

The MS Society has expressed its grave concern over the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) evaluation report recommending that natalizumab (Tysabri) – a new therapy for people with rapidly evolving severe multiple sclerosis (MS) – should not be funded on the NHS.

The Society has submitted a response to a NICE consultation on the preliminary evaluation report and calls on the government watchdog to revise its current assessment on both clinical and ethical grounds.

People with this aggressive type of MS suffer repeated, disabling relapses, leading to disability progression that is approximately twice as fast as in people with less active multiple sclerosis. They rapidly lose their independence, work often becomes impossible and family members have to step in as carers.

NICE accepts the clinical efficacy of natalizumab in this severely affected group, yet it rejects it on cost grounds, based on the flawed comparison of ‘best supportive care’. The fair comparators are the current licensed drug therapies which these people would inevitably be on and the MS Society believes this would lead to a different conclusion regarding cost effectiveness.

Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive of the MS Society, said: "If this drug is not made available on the NHS once again people with MS will be disadvantaged when compared to people with MS in many other parts of the world."

The consultation deadline was 23 April and NICE will meet to consider submissions, including ours, on 8 May. Final recommendations are expected in July.

• Copyright 2008 Dod's Parliamentary Communications Ltd
• About ePolitix.com
• Stakeholders
• Contacts
• Terms & Conditions
• Blog guidelines