New treatment will help MS patients be treated quicker in another UK first

A Pembrokeshire mum has become the first NHS patient in the UK to be treated with a new drug to prevent relapses of multiple sclerosis (MS).

The newly approved medication, ublituximab, is given through an intravenous (IV) infusion and used to help treat relapses of MS.

Compared to other treatments, the drug can be given much faster through an IV infusion, allowing more patients to be treated sooner.

MS, a lifelong condition, happens when a person’s immune system attacks their brain and spinal cord.

Pictured: Fiona Creelie with the MS team and Jill Rowe Neurology Ambulatory Unit staff.

The immune system creates cells that attack and kill viruses in the body but for those with MS, the cells attack the nerves instead.

This week, Monday 28th April to Sunday 4th May marks MS Awareness Week.

Fiona Creelie, from Milford Haven, was the first patient to be treated with the new drug at the Jill Rowe Neurology Ambulatory Unit at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

“I started experiencing pins and needles and sharp shooting pains in my face in September,” the 35-year-old said.

“They initially thought it was trigeminal neuralgia, which is sudden, severe facial pain.

“In November, I started to get the same sensations down my right arm, so I went to A&E and had an MRI scan and lots of other tests and then was referred to Morriston Hospital.”

The mum-of-one only officially received her diagnosis of MS and just two weeks later received her first IV treatment of the new drug.

Fiona added: “I was offered a selection of three drugs, but I picked this one because it fitted in with our family life.

“This treatment will be once every six months for just an hour each time, so it was the best fit for me.

“It’s a bit crazy to have been the first person to receive the treatment but it’s also really exciting.”

With the new treatment able to be given much quicker, it will help to reduce the time patients wait for treatment.

Pictured: Fiona with consultant neurologist Dr Gillian Ingram.

Dr Owen Pearson, consultant neurologist at Morriston Hospital, said: “The drug itself is a new version of an already approved drug, but the advantage is that it’s given faster, through an IV infusion.

“It allows us to treat more patients per day and that allows us to shorten the waiting time for treatment.

“It is a highly effective treatment which helps to stop focal inflammation, which is new lesions appearing on an MRI, or having new relapses of MS.

“The unit was starting to operate above capacity so the introduction of this drug will help with that.

“Clinical trials for the drug were done in other centres in the UK, including Cardiff, and it has recently been approved for use on the NHS.

“Being able to offer it so quickly to our patients in Swansea Bay involves a lot of working together with the pharmacy department.

“We have a dedicated clinical pharmacist within our team which allows us to deliver new treatments like this to our patients.”

Charles-Henry Her, the team’s clinical pharmacist, added: “The consultants are really proactive in finding out about these new drugs and then they provide me with all of the information I need.

“I learn about the new drugs and how they work and make sure our systems are ready for us to introduce them.”

Around 2,200 MS patients are supported in Swansea Bay, with the service seeing patients from Machynlleth, in Powys, right across to Cowbridge, in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Dr Gillian Ingram, consultant neurologist, said: “The fact that the treatment is much shorter will allow more MS patients to come through.

“It is also beneficial for patients to have a choice of treatment, so they can choose the option that’s right for them.

“There are always new developments in treatments for MS and it is really nice to keep Wales at the forefront of that.”

Alexandra Strong, Jill Rowe Neurology Ambulatory Unit manager, said: “It is exciting for both patients and our unit to have another treatment available for MS, and it was exciting for us to be the first to give the treatment in the NHS.

“It is another option for patients to help improve their treatment and health.

“It will allow more flexibility for patients as it will make it much easier to fit in with their lifestyle, while it will also allow us to be more flexible with the treatment we can offer too.”