Roche’s OCREVUS has been approved by the SMC

Roche’s OCREVUS (ocrelizumab), for the treatment of relapsing or primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (PPMS), has been approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) through the Patient and Clinician Engagement (PACE) process, which is used for medicines to manage rare and end of life conditions.

People who participated in the PACE project demonstrated that PPMS is an incurable disease, with severe symptoms that slowly get worse over time until the patient completely loses their independence, but ocrelizumab slows down the process, allowing them to stay in the workforce and retain their independence for longer.

Dr. Alan MacDonald, SMC Chairman, stated: “Participants in our PACE meeting for ocrelizumab told us that there are currently no treatments for those with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. Our decision on this medicine provides a treatment option that can delay the progression of disability, and we know it will be welcomed.”

Roche UK’s General Manager, Richard Erwin, stated: “Following many years of dedication and hard work by our scientists and the wider scientific community, today’s news is a landmark in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. People in Scotland with early, primary progressive multiple sclerosis will now be able to benefit from the first-ever licensed treatment on the Scottish NHS. This underlines our commitment to support people in Scotland, across all of the diseases we cover, to live longer and healthier lives. We are proud to have again worked together with key Scottish stakeholders to make this happen.”