Cure for MS
Are people aware that there are now treatments available that may well be cures for MS? Cladribine is licensed for treatment of MS in Australia. It seems to stop MS activity completely in something like half the people who have it. You can get it here, but only from Barts at present. You have it in the form of a course of injections over three days, with a follow-up course five weeks later and another after a year. The effects are similar to Lemtrada but there are no overnight stays in hospital or steroids needed. Also, there are no suggestions that it will mess up your thyroid.
I am puzzled that people are still seeking Tysabri or Tecifidera when they could be having Cladribine. Is it because people don't know about Cladribine? Because it's licensed for MS in Australia but not here?
Reading the Barts post, this sounds like a political hot potato from both the pharmaceutical industry's and the government's point of view. Is this a situation where the MS community should mount a mass media campaign to get this drug made available to everyone? If so, where do we start?
I'm starting here and on the MS Society chat forum (small beginnings). I also have connections with trustees at the MS Society and I am suggesting to them that things have changed for everyone with MS with these treatments becoming available. I believe that what the MS Society is doing should change too. I am really interested to hear what other people think about this.