NHS chiefs say the injection form of the medicine can help save patients' and clinicians' time.
Thousands of people with multiple sclerosis in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be offered a a new 10-minute injection that can help slow progression of the disease, NHS England says.
The under-the-skin injection has recently been approved by medicines regulators in Great Britain and Europe.The lifelong condition is caused by a person's immune system mistakenly attacking the protective covering that surrounds nerves in the brain and spinal cord.This can lead to a range of problems including difficulties with eyesight, movement, sensation and balance, and it can cause serious disability.
She currently takes the drug as an infusion but says the injection would make a significant difference to her, allowing her have more time with her young family. "At the moment it takes around four or five hours to have my infusion and the logistics can be really difficult.Prof Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said ocrelizumab had "represented a huge advance in care in recent years" as the first drug able to change the course of MS.
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