Millions wasted by NHS on expensive, useless MS drugs

See report in the Telegraph, where you will read that experts "called for a Government-backed scheme to provide the drugs to be scrapped and called for a public inquiry. In total at least £250 million could have been saved if a review had been carried out on the “costly failure” after its first two years, they warn."And also "The four drugs involved Avonex, Betaferon, Copaxone and Rebif, cost around £8,000 per patient per year."

These expensive drugs have been provided on the NHS for six years now, during which time they have performed less well than a placebo. - Why then, has it taken till now for anyone to seek to do anything about this? MS sufferers have enough to contend with, without being given false hope and useless drugs. And why can't the many legal eagles on the State payroll devise watertight contracts to ensure that the drug companies do not screw the NHS for costly drugs that prove to be worthless.

It is time we had some people in Government and in the Dept of Health with enough sense to resist the blandishments and lies of the pharmaceutical companies, and enough courage and integrity to listen to the people who are ill, rather than to the drug company executives who cosy up to the people in power, seeking to make money out of their expensive products, regardless of how useless or harmful those products are. During those six years of uselessness, why was no-one taking heed of their uselessness to patients? - No-one listening to the patients?

14 year old Ryan McLaughlin succeeds with his vitamin D campaign in Scotland

BBC News reports on the success of 14 year old Ryan McLaughlin, in drawing the attention of the Scottish government to the "urgent need" to provide information to all health professionals who work with pregnant women and young children about current guidance on vitamin D.

"Ryan became the face of a YouTube campaign to publicise the use of vitamin D, and led hundreds of supporters down Edinburgh's Royal Mile to Holyrood before he put his proposals to the petitions committee in June.

He told MSPs research into the genetic effect of vitamin D deficiency showed a link to the development of MS. Vitamin D, which the body needs for healthy, strong bones is largely gained through sunlight and food."

Living in Scotland tends to result in extreme Vitamin D deficiency because of chronic lack of sunlight. While deficiency in the UK is widespread the situation in Scotland is worse than for the rest of the country. Scotland receives 30-50% less ultraviolet radiation (UVB) from the sun than the rest of the UK owing to its high latitude and persistent low cloud cover.

Scotland is thought to have the highest rate of MS in the world.

Vitamin D reduces risk of multiple sclerosis

Taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and in the early years of life could reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, research suggested yesterday. Scientists have discovered that the chances of developing MS are influenced by vitamin D levels coupled with a common gene variant. Children with the genetic mutation may be more at risk of developing the disease if they lack vitamin D while growing in the womb or during their early years of life.
Read article at scotsman.com (Scotland/UK)

Novartis says experimental multiple sclerosis treatment FTY720 is linked to death and infection

Novartis SA, Switzerland's second- largest drugmaker, said a patient died and another developed a serious infection in tests of its experimental multiple sclerosis treatment FTY720.
Read article at bloomberg.com