The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended fingolimod (Gilenya®), the world’s first daily pill for the treatment of highly active relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), for use on the NHS in the UK.

NICE accepted that fingolimod is a valuable new therapy and its oral formulation represents innovation in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).

In a one-year clinical trial, which included the treatment of six patients at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB), fingolimod was proven to be more than twice as effective at reducing relapses as interferon β-1a IM, a standard injection for people with RRMS.

The decision will be welcomed by the MS community, including leading MS patient groups, healthcare professionals and people with MS.

QEHB is a regional referral centre for patients with MS, serving a population of around four million people. The hospital was one of 24 in the UK that took part in the clinical trial programme for fingolimod, which is manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Dr Gordon Mazibrada, a consultant neurologist at QEHB, said: “Both myself and colleague Dr John Woolmore, another consultant neurologist with an interest in MS, are delighted with the decision.

“This is the first ever tablet treatment for MS – so is convenient for patients – which, in the clinical trials, proved to be effective. We have six patients on this drug after we started the trial at the beginning of last year, and we will be using it on more patients following the decision by NICE.”

Around 30,000 people have already received the drug worldwide and fingolimod has been approved in more than 55 countries. Following the decision, the NHS is now obliged to start making arrangements for the use of fingolimod.