Justin Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, has met with people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) to hear about the challenges faced by those living with the progressive forms of the condition, for which there are currently no treatments available on the NHS.

In September, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) rejected the first and only licensed treatment for early primary progressive MS, ocrelizumab, on the grounds that it costs too much for the benefits it can provide.  The drug was, however, approved for treating relapsing MS.

Justin said:

“Living with primary progressive MS can be painful and exhausting, and symptoms will gradually worsen over time.  I am disappointed by NICE’s decision to reject ocrelizumab for primary progressive MS because it has denied many people access to a treatment that could slow down their disability.

“I call on NICE, NHS England and the drug manufacturer Roche to agree a deal to make ocrelizumab available to those who could benefit, at a price the NHS can afford.”

The MS Society’s Treat Me Right campaign is calling for everyone with MS to have access to the right treatment, at the right time. See more at: https://www.mssociety.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/treat-me-right