A decision by the HSE to reimburse a new medicine for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been welcomed by patients.

MS is a chronic disease of the central nervous system, which causes a gradual degeneration of the nerves. This results in a progressive deterioration in various functions controlled by the nervous system, such as vision, speech and movement. It can also lead to cognitive difficulties, such as memory problems.

Around 9,000 Irish people are affected.

The new medicine, which has been approved for reimbursement by the HSE, is called daclizumab. It is aimed at people with relapsing-remitting MS, which is the most common form of the disease, affecting around 85% of those with the condition.

The drug, which can be self-administered at home, uniquely targets the immune system. Two Dublin hospitals, Beaumont and St Vincent's University Hospital, were part of the largest clinical trial ever reported in MS.

Known as DECIDE, this trial showed daclizumab's ability to reduce the frequency of relapses (attack of symptoms) and the risk of disease progression, compared to the widely used MS medication, interferon beta-1a.

With MS, the body's immune system causes inflammation, which damages the protective coating (myelin) around the nerves in the central nervous system. This stops the nerves from working properly.

Daclizumab is thought to work by targeting and blocking the growth of activated T cells, which are known to gradually damage myelin, and eventually damage the central nervous system.

The decision to reimburse the medication was welcomed by MS Ireland.

"The authorisation of daclizumab is another step forward in the fight against MS, offering hope to those living with the condition. The fact that it works in a different way to other therapies not only furthers our understanding of this complex disease, but also importantly gives people with MS, and doctors in Ireland, an additional treatment option to consider, which is vital because the course of the condition can be so different from person to person," commented MS Ireland chief executive, Ava Battles.

Daclizumab is available in the form of a pre-filled syringe, which can be administered by the patient in the comfort of their own home.

For more information on MS Ireland, click here