**Merck KGaA’s Mavenclad (cladribine) tablets have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to treat a broader group of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.**
The health technology assessment agency has recommended in final draft guidance that the short-course oral therapy be used on the NHS as a first-line treatment option for adults with active relapsing‐remitting MS (RRMS) when high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) would be considered.
The drug, which was previously only recommended by NICE as an option for highly active RRMS, a more severe form of the neurological disorder, offers patients greater flexibility by reducing the frequency of hospital visits and daily treatment requirements.
Affecting more than 150,000 people in the UK, MS occurs when the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath that covers the nerves and disrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Symptoms vary, but can include extreme fatigue, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the limbs and problems with strength and coordination.
RRMS, characterised by attacks of worsening neurologic function followed by partial or complete recovery periods, accounts for about 85% of initial diagnoses, while primary progressive, which refers to patients who have stopped experiencing relapses but continue to accumulate disability, is much less common.
Mavenclad, which targets lymphocytes thought to be integral to the pathological process of relapsing MS, can be taken at home and consists of a maximum of ten days of treatment in the first year and ten days in the second year.
NICE’s latest decision on the drug was supported by clinical and real-world evidence demonstrating that Mavenclad can reduce MS relapse rates and slow disability progression. The agency is now expected to issue final guidance for England in April, with anticipated access in Wales and Northern Ireland to follow.
Stuart Hill, medical director at Merck UK and Ireland, said: “We are pleased that NICE has recognised the benefit of \[Mavenclad\] tablets and that more people living with the impact of RRMS are able to access this first-line treatment.
“We look forward to the final NICE guidance and remain committed to supporting people living with MS to live fuller, more independent lives.”