First MS pill may be available soon

People suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) in the UK could get the first pill to treat the condition within a “few months”.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, constituted by experts from the European Medicines Agency, has recommended the EU regulator to approve the drug Gilenya, manufactured by Swiss-based pharmaceutical firm Novartis.

This would pave the way for an EU-wide licence for the drug.

The once-a-day pill, which offers MS sufferers a simple alternative to injected treatments, is already available in the US and Russia.

Welcoming the latest news, Dr Jayne Spink, policy and research director at the MS Society, said: “The news about Gilenya is great for people with MS. The availability of a tablet to treat the condition will give people more choice and for many will come as a welcome relief from frequent injections.

“All being well, Gilenya could be available for people with MS later this year.”

Nearly 100,000 people in the UK suffer from MS, an auto-immune disease which can lead to a variety of symptoms ranging from mild tingling to full-blown paralysis.