Source MS Society:  The Government has today changed the law to make cannabis for medicinal use legal under prescription.

But it’s likely that nothing will change in the short term for the one in 10 people with MS who could get relief from pain and muscle spasms by using medicinal cannabis.

We’re calling for the interim guidance on prescribing medicinal cannabis to be urgently reviewed so that access to the treatment isn’t so heavily restricted. Read on. 

Source MS Trust: NICE has announced that it is pausing the publication of final guidance for ocrelizumab for primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

The final decision was due to be published on the NICE website on 31 October and would have rejected ocrelizumab as an NHS treatment for primary progressive MS on the grounds of cost-effectiveness.

The MS Trust now understands that this final decision has been postponed(link is external) while further discussions take place between the drug company and NHS England. We welcome this move as it demonstrates a willingness on both sides to engage further in the debate around this drug which could have a substantial impact on the lives of people with primary progressive MS.  Read on.

Source Endpoints News: One of Novartis’ top late-stage candidates for multiple sclerosis is now under review on both sides of the Atlantic.

Having stoked enthusiasm for siponimod through a solid Phase III data package, the Swiss drugmaker traded in a priority review voucher at the FDA for an expedited action date around March of next year. The EMA decision, meanwhile, will likely come in late 2019.

If Novartis appears upbeat, it’s for obvious reasons.  Read on. 

Source The Guardian: Andrew McDonald, who chaired Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, says the system is ‘Kafka-esque’

A former top civil servant has criticised the disability benefits assessment system as a “hostile environment” after being told he was ineligible for support despite having Parkinson’s and terminal prostate cancer.

Andrew McDonald, 56, who ran the parliamentary body overseeing MPs expenses before retiring on health grounds, had his benefits stopped after assessors decided he was no longer ill enough to qualify for personal independence payment (PIP).  Read on.

Source Huffington Post: Medical cannabis will be available on prescription in the UK within a month, according to The Telegraph.

The Home Office is expected to announce the “rescheduling” of cannabis-derived medicines in Parliament within a fortnight, lifting restrictions which mean that until now it has only been allowed in the most exceptional circumstances within a matter of weeks.

Under the new rules, those suffering chronic pain, severe epilepsy or nausea as a result of chemotherapy could be prescribed the drug by specialist doctors.

There are an estimated 28 million people living with chronic pain in the UK, including those suffering from conditions such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis (MS).

The MS Society said that 10,000 people suffering from that condition alone could benefit from the treatment.  Read on.