Cladribine tablets now available for MS patients in the UK and Ireland

Science and technology company, Merck, has announced the availability of Mavenclad (cladribine tablets) in the UK and Ireland for the treatment of adults with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS).

These tables are the first short-course oral therapy for patients with this form of MS and are listed as being able to sustain disease control for up to four years with a maximum of 20 days of tablets in the first two years.

“This is an exciting moment and one that will change the way we treat MS,” commented Gavin Giovannoni, professor of neurology at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London. “Mavenclad simplifies treatment administration, by giving patients just two short annual courses of tablets in four years. Patients can benefit from the treatment over a longer period of time without having to continually take medication and without the need for frequent monitoring. The not so obvious advantage of Mavenclad is its impact on MS services, for example its ease of use, reduced cost of infusions and monitoring, will liberate staff time to focus on delivering other NHS services.”

The marketing authorisation for Mavenclad has been based on a 12-year clinical trial programme, including data from three Phase III trials — CLARITY, CLARITY EXTENSION and ORACLE MS — the Phase II ONWARD study and the long-term follow up data from the 8-year prospective registry, PREMIERE.

“We are very excited to offer Mavenclad as the first short-course oral treatment for adult patients with highly active relapsing forms of MS. Merck is invested in improving the care of patients with MS and alongside our new patient support programme Adveva, this is an important milestone that demonstrates our commitment,” said Marco Lyons, head of Medical Neurology and Immunology, Merck.

Merck has revealed it is in discussions with the relevant reimbursement authorities across the UK and Ireland with the aim of securing funding for cladribine tablets.