MS: Busting the Myths
March 27, 2025 | Advocacy, Media, News, Press Release, Treatments
There are calls for Pharmac to “quit stalling” and fund four affordable treatments to significantly improve quality of life for patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in New Zealand – treatments which would also significantly reduce demand on New Zealand’s stretched health system.
Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand (MSNZ) is drawing attention to its fight to have Pharmac fund these four treatments this morning at 11.30am on Parliament’s forecourt – marking the halfway stage of this year’s annual Bangers to Bluff fundraiser, organised by the Rotary club of Half Moon Bay The car rally, now in its 9th year, raises vital funds to help MSNZ support patients across New Zealand.
Cladribine is chief among the four unfunded treatments for Relapsing MS (RMS) which MSNZ says patients desperately need. International clinical trials show its linked to fewer relapses and less brain cell death for patients with this, the most common form of the disease. Unlike most other treatments for RRMS, Cladribine doesn’t require repeat visits to hospital for 4-hour long injectable infusions. It comes in tablet form and the pills can be taken at home – with two treatment weeks in year 1 and year 2. Years 3 and 4 require no tablets to be taken at all. Overseas data shows by year 5 seventy per cent of patients still require no further treatment with the drug. (The only other oral treatment for RRMS, Gilenya, requires a pill to be taken every day on an ongoing basis).
MSNZ President Neil Woodhams says an overseas study shows patients using Cladribine need on average 64 per cent LESS health care professional time per patient compared to other treatments for RRMS.
“To be able to take a short course of pills home, take them for two weeks each year for two years and then basically get on with life, surely that’s a win-win for everyone,” says Woodhams.
“Funding Cladribine just makes sense. It will help the government to meet health targets by reducing demand on clinical services, especially infusion capacity. This government is looking to make smarter, more cost-effective, time saving and sensible decisions. Funding this treatment does just that.”
MSNZ has been waiting 6 years for Pharmac to fund Cladribine. The Australian government has funded it since 2018 with the drug now in widespread use there. Access to it has also been widened this month in the UK.
“While MS isn’t currently curable for the 5000 New Zealanders living with it, it is in many cases treatable and manageable,” says MSNZ National Manager Amanda Rose.
“We haven’t had any new treatments funded by Pharmac in all of those 6 years. Research is advancing in MS treatments and New Zealand is falling behind, fast.”
The three other disease-modifying treatments MSNZ is calling on Pharmac to immediately fund are; Kesimpta, a monthly self-injection treatment; as well as subcutaneous versions of Tysabri (2 hours every 4 weeks) and Ocrevus (2- 3.5 hours every 6 months) which would reduce infusion times down to 30 and 10 minutes respectively.
“These reduced dosing regimens improve patient experience and can help address barriers to healthcare, especially for people with co-morbidities managing multiple medications, issues with treatment adherence, and those living in rural and remote areas,” Woodhams says.
“Canterbury alone has over 560 MS patients on disease modifying treatments with over 330 of those on infusion treatment. This equates to over 5000 hours of infusion chair time each year on top of follow up appointments with neurologists, nurses and RI scans.”
Amanda Rose says MS is increasingly becoming a condition of younger people with the average age of diagnosis in New Zealand age 38. Women are three times more likely to be diagnosed.
“We hear from patients who are facing significant barriers to treatment. Young women required to take a day’s sick leave off work every 6 weeks to get their infusion or travelling several hours to infusion centres. Often they also need a family member to take time away from work to assist them,” she says.
MSNZ says University of Auckland research has identified significant inequities in access to the highest efficacy treatments for Māori, Pacific, other ethnic groups and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
“We believe that a big reason for this is the barriers to accessing these treatments. Many patients can’t get a break from work or live rurally and so choose lower efficacy treatments because they’re easier,” Woodhams says.
MSNZ remains grateful to the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay in Auckland for its ongoing support through the Bangers to Bluff event. “MSNZ has been fortunate to have been the masthead charity for Bangers to Bluff since 2018,” Woodhams says.
“Not only is the event an amazing opportunity to raise vital funds to further our mission, but it is also an important vehicle for change and to raise the awareness of multiple sclerosis. We thank the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay and the event participants for their continued support of Multiple Sclerosis NZ.”