NHS to rollout new multiple sclerosis jab cutting treatment time in hospital by over 90%

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) currently receiving the drug ocrelizumab via infusion can now be offered a new time-saving treatment. The jab is set to be available in the coming weeks, pending final approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. 

Ocrelizumab is usually given to patients twice a year via an intravenous infusion (IV), which can take up to four hours. The new jab will reduce this time for treatment to just ten minutes using a quick 'under-the-skin' injection twice a year. 

The drug has been shown to effectively halt symptoms of MS by targeting a specific type of immune cell and has been shown to work as effectively as the IV treatment. 

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director said: "This new injection will drastically cut the time that regular treatment takes for those living with multiple sclerosis, meaning that thousands of patients can spend less time in hospital while helping free up clinicians’ time to see more patients as well as vital capacity onwards"

Multiple sclerosis is a lifelong condition that is estimated to affect more than 150,000 people in the UK, including over 120,000 people in England. It is more common in women and each week around 135 people in the UK are diagnosed with MS. It can affect the brain and the spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation, or balance. 

Nin Sambhi, 39 from Staffordshire, was diagnosed with relapsing MS in 2022. She currently takes ocrelizumab via infusion.

Nin said: “It’s great to hear that this new ocrelizumab injection has been approved. Ocrelizumab is working well for me right now and making me hopeful for a better and healthier future, but to be able to have an injection would be so much more convenient for me.

“At the moment, it takes around four or five hours to have my infusion and the logistics can be really difficult – I have two children under 10, so sorting out childcare can be challenging. This new treatment would mean significantly less time spent in hospital and more time with my family.”

Originally published on: NHS England » NHS rolls out new multiple sclerosis jab that cuts hospital treatment time by 90%