Just to be able to use my hands again would be great, says Lowestoft woman in fight for multiple sclerosis drug

Shona Garrett suffers from MS but is unable to access a drug that may be able to ease her symptoms. Picture: James Bass

Kathryn Bradley Tuesday, April 29, 2014 9:29 AM

People living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Norfolk and Suffolk could be left behind if life-changing medicines continue to be out of reach for many sufferers, a leading charity has warned.

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Sativex is a peppermint-flavoured mouth spray that comes in a small pump that people can carry with them.

The medicine in Sativex is extracted from cannabis plants that have been selected and grown to produce a constant amount of active ingredients that have been shown to help improve the symptoms of MS spasticity.

The NHS has a legal obligation to fund all treatments that NICE recommends but currently this does not include Sativex.

A spokesman for Bayer Healthcare, which produces Sativex, said the NICE guidelines for the management of MS were due to be revised and the company was anticipating that Sativex would be included within these.

The MS Society is calling for all drugs licensed for the treatment of MS to be made available to patients on the NHS and has launched the Treat Me Right Campaign to coincide with MS Awareness Week.

Mother-of-one Shona Garrett, from Lowestoft, is just one of potentially many people with MS in the area struggling to access Sativex a licensed MS medicine designed to reduce muscle spasms and stiffness in people with the condition.

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Just to be able to use my hands again would be great, says Lowestoft woman in fight for multiple sclerosis drug