‘Effective MS treatments should be available for everyone with MS, wherever they live in the UK’
A medication for people with relapsing MS has been denied recommendation for NHS use England and Wales, despite it gaining approval from Scottish regulators earlier this year.
Ozanimod, or Zeposia, is a disease modifying therapy which is taken as a tablet and traps immune T-cells in the body’s lymph nodes.
In a two-year clinical trial, it was shown to reduce relapses in those with active relapsing remitting MS by around 38 per cent, compared to beta interferon, an existing MS treatment.
However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has decided not to recommend it for people with relapsing MS on the NHS in England and Wales, confirming its provisional decision from January – despite the fact it was given approval by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC).
Following a final review of evidence, including that from charities, NICE found that ozanimod was not cost effective enough to be recommended for use on the NHS. NICE considered that ozanimod’s effect on disability progression was uncertain.
MS charities have spoken of their disappointment at the decision, particularly given its approval for use in Scotland.
“It’s disappointing that NICE has made this final decision not to recommend ozanimod as a treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis in England,” says Fredi Cavander-Attwood, policy manager at the MS Society.
“Oral treatments, like ozanimod, are limited and not allowing people this option could deny them a convenient way to manage MS symptoms.
“This rejection also highlights the inequities in access to treatments around the UK, as people living with MS in Scotland were granted access to ozanimod in February.
“Effective MS treatments should be made available for everyone living with MS, regardless of where they live in the UK.”
In March 2020, ozanimod was licensed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to treat people with relapsing MS who have active disease.
Scotland is now the only nation in the UK to approve ozanimod, with 15 disease modifying therapies now available on the NHS in the country. The NICE decision applies to England and Wales, with decisions from the body reviewed by the government in Northern Ireland but are generally adopted.
