Fingolimod licensed in UK today

[Sparkysarah]

I have just read in the national papers today that Fingolimod (Gilenya) has been licensed in UK today but only for second line treatment which seems very harsh but guess it is to do with cost.  I am hoping that this will be available as a first line treatment in a few years as other oral drugs become available (and I understand that there are quite a lot of similar drugs being trialled (and I am on one of them!)

Anyhow it is good news I believe for people with MS and I think this will be the way forward in the future when it has been on the market for long enough for people to have faith that potential long term side effects are few.

Best wishes

Sarah

PS So anyone in Uk who is offered this treatment please let us know how you get on and join the thread on the forum!

[cainer]

its not bad- but i did learn to take it before bed!  so you sleep through the -sick at stomach stuff  but doin ok!  

[sllowe]

Excellent news!

Not sure of the neuro concensus in the states at this time, but I was offered it, and my DMD is not failing me.  Knowing how my neuro operates, it's definitely not out of the box thinking - he offered it because he could. He's offered it to other MSers too.

I'm not ready for it now, but would consider if I was failing.  But, thought it was worth a mention since my experience did not require a shift in med as a 2nd line and attempt to modify the disease.

He seems to be happy to offer an injectionless DMD to patients.
-shell

[Lulu54]

That is good news.  Everything I know about Gilenya here in the US it will also almost always be treated as a second line treatment, offered only if the injectable DMD's fail to stop progression.  There are still unknown long term side effects of using fingolimod that make most neurologists heistate offering it immediately.    

The same with Tysabri - you are rarely going to be offered tysabri as the first line drug.

I'm glad it is at least now approved in the UK.

best, Lulu