New drug approved on NHS for multiple sclerosis

Ponvory (ponesimod) has been approved for use on the NHS in England and Wales by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for active relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS).

This decision reverses NICE’s earlier rejection of Ponvory which came last October.

Ponvory is taken once daily as a tablet and was demonstrated to reduce relapse rate by 30% when compared with Aubagio (teriflunimide) and reduced active lesions seen by MRI.

The treatment was approved in Scotland in November for use on the NHS.

In England the NHS has to support prescribing of the drug within three months, and in Wales, two months.