Victory on vital MS drug ...but more still to be done
HUNDREDS more patients with multiple sclerosis are now getting a vital drug that reduces painful muscle spasms, following a Daily Express crusade.
This newspaper joined forces with the MS Society last summer to highlight a shocking postcode lottery over access to the cannabis-based medicine Sativex.
The charity’s analysis reveals the number of local NHS bodies funding prescriptions has increased from half (49 out of 106) before the campaign to two thirds (71).
Head of policy at the MS Society, Phillip Anderson, said: “One year on, it’s positive to see that more local health bodies than ever are funding Sativex, and the difference it’s making to people’s lives.
“We’re grateful to our amazing campaigners who helped to make this happen, as well as the invaluable support from the Daily Express. However, we still have a long way to go and our work cannot stop here.”
Sativex is a mouth spray that can ease unbearable stiffness and involuntary muscle contractions.
It was recommended by official medicines adviser NICE in November 2019 for MS patients with moderate to severe spasticity for whom other treatments had not worked.
Of the 130,000 people who live with MS in the UK, around 4,800 in England are thought to be eligible. The drug does not work for everyone so a four-week trial is recommended and patients stay on it if their symptoms improve by at least 20 per cent.
But an MS Society report in August 2021 found only 49 of England’s 106 clinical commissioning groups were funding prescriptions. This meant thousands of patients were being denied the chance to try Sativex, based solely on where they lived. In the wake of our campaign, NHS England’s top pharmacist Dr Keith Ridge wrote to trusts and local groups to remind them of prescribing guidance. The number of people estimated to be getting Sativex has since risen from 630 (13 per cent of those eligible) to 885 (18 per cent).
Sabrina Fox, 31, is among those who have secured access on the NHS in the last year.
She lives with primary progressive MS and suffers from intense muscle spasms.
Her health body in Scunthorpe has changed its position and in January she was able to try Sativex. She said: “The spasms can be really painful, especially at night, and it’s affected my sleep for years. My legs can be really heavy at times, and it makes it a lot harder for carers to position them.
“Sativex helps me sleep better and allows my carers to do my exercises better because my legs are more relaxed.”
Being denied the drug initially was particularly frustrating for Sabrina because there are few options for her. She said: “For the disease-modifying treatments you have to meet certain criteria. A lot of them depend on a disability scale and because I’m in a wheelchair I don’t qualify for them anymore. I don’t see why there should be a barrier to people getting something to improve their lives. I understand the NHS is low on funding but they are there to help people get better.”
James McCully is one of many patients still fighting for access to Sativex. He cannot get the drug on the NHS in Essex and pays around £440 every three months for a private prescription.
Mr Anderson said: “It’s completely unacceptable that people like James are being forced to pay for a potentially life-changing treatment privately, in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
“We will continue calling on the NHS to make Sativex available to those who need it.
“Living with MS can be relentless, painful and disabling, and access to effective treatments should never be a postcode lottery.”
TODAY we can celebrate victory in another Daily Express campaign with news that hundreds more patients with multiple sclerosis are receiving a drug that reduces painful muscle spasms.
The cannabis-based medicine Sativex can ease stiffness and involuntary muscle contractions. However, a postcode lottery meant thousands of patients were being denied the treatment based solely on where they lived.
We joined forces with the MS Society to highlight the problem, and the number of local NHS bodies funding prescriptions has now increased significantly.
Part of our role as a newspaper is to campaign for those people who need a voice, with the support of our readers.
Standing up for people is an important part of being British and with your backing it is something we will continue to do.