Nice says price set by manufacturer of Sativex is too high for the benefit it gives MS patients
A drug derived from cannabis, which many people with multiple sclerosis say helps ease their symptoms, has been ruled too expensive to be used by the NHS in England even though it is approved for Wales.
A drug derived from cannabis, which many people with multiple sclerosis say helps ease their symptoms, has been ruled too expensive to be used by the NHS in England even though it is approved for Wales.
In new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of people with the disabling disease, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) says the price set by the manufacturer of Sativex (nabiximols) is too high for the benefit it gives patients. But the decision opens up the sort of “postcode lottery” that Nice was set up to end, with MS patients in Wales able to use the drug on the NHS while those in England either have to buy it themselves or go without. Some will use the illegal drug instead.
A second drug, Fampyra (fampridine), designed to improve people’s ability to walk, has been rejected by both England and Wales. Neither drug is routinely available in Scotland.
The MS Society’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said the rejection of the two drugs by Nice was disappointing. “Surely we should be striving for the most innovative treatment and care to be made available to people with MS, not limiting options even further,” she said.
“I experience very painful spasms around my ribs, the MS hug, and tightness in my arms and legs. I’ve been told that Sativex could give me some relief but it seems so out of reach,” said Shona Garrett, 38, from Lowestoft, who was diagnosed two years ago and is on a waiting list for the drug in her area. “I also experience nerve pain like constant pins and needles in my feet, and I’ve heard Sativex could help with this too. No one has offered me any other options.”
ADMIN: THIS IS MADDNESS - THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO SATIVEX THAT NICE CAN APPROVE.
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/08/drug-multiple-sclerosis-england-wales-nice?CMP=twt_gu
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