The drug siponimod (Mayzent) has been approved by NICE for active secondary progressive MS in England and Wales.
MS charity the MS Trust hailed the news a “significant advance in the treatment of progressive MS”.
Siponimod (Mayzent), an oral treatment taken once daily, has been approved for people with secondary progressive MS who continue having relapses or show signs of MS activity on MRI scans.
In clinical trials for secondary progressive MS, siponimod delayed disability progression by 26 per cent compared to placebo, the MS Trust reports.
Further analysis focussed on a subset with active SPMS – people who had relapsed in the two years before starting the trial or showed MS activity on MRI scans. For the active SPMS subgroup, siponimod delayed disability progression by 37% compared to placebo.
David Martin, CEO of the MS Trust, said: “At the moment there are few options for someone whose MS is changing from relapsing remitting to secondary progressive, so this approval is very welcome and a big step forward.
“By slowing down disability progression and improving cognition, siponimod has the potential to allow people to carry on working, remain independent and stay connected with family and friends.
“More broadly, we hope that the availability of this new treatment will lead to a greater focus on services for progressive MS which would benefit a much wider group of people.”
