NHS rolls out “more convenient” Ocrevus injection for multiple sclerosis

The subcutaneous formulation of Roche’s blockbuster Ocrevus will cut hospital treatment time for patients. England’s National Health Service (NHS) has said that multiple sclerosis patients could have their hospital treatment time slashed following the availability of a new drug formulation.

Roche’s blockbuster Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is currently offered on the NHS to multiple sclerosis patients but via twice-yearly intravenous (IV) infusions. Now, in a move that the NHS says will cut the time spent in hospital, the disease-modifying therapy will be administered by quick ‘under-the-skin’ twice-yearly injections.

The ten-minute injection, slated to be available in the coming weeks, is expected to reduce the time spent in hospital receiving treatment by 90%, according to the health agency. It will also benefit patients who have difficult-to-access veins. The NHS will be one of the first healthcare systems globally to offer the new injection.

Ocrevus is a humanised monoclonal antibody designed to target CD20-positive B cells, which play a key role in multiple sclerosis pathology. The drug was first greenlit for use on the NHS by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2018, and then for primary progressive multiple sclerosis in 2019. The subcutaneous formulation of Ocrevus garnered European approval earlier this month.

July 17, 2024