Muscat: Oman has licensed the world's first oral medication for multiple sclerosis (MS), a move which medical experts say will improve medication tolerability and compliance for many of Oman's 200 MS sufferers, the pharmaceutical giant Novartis said on Monday.

The Ministry of Health has approved the Novartis-made drug Gilenya (fingolimod) for use in the relapsing remitting form of MS that affects around two thirds of those diagnosed with the disease, which causes muscle weakness, problems with co-ordination and impaired concentration.

Injections

Making the new oral tablets available will remove the need for patients to undergo regular injections, allowing patients to enjoy a less restricted way of life and improving medication acceptance and compliance for those who cannot tolerate injections, said a leading Oman-based doctor who specialises in MS. Improved medication acceptance and compliance will also optimise patient outcomes.

"The licensing of the first oral drug for MS will have a major impact on patients in terms of medication tolerability and compliance," said Dr Jaber Al Khabouri, Senior Consultant with the Department of Neurology at the Royal Hospital, Muscat

"Patients have been asking for an oral treatment for a long time because people generally don't like injections, which are the standard treatment for the disease.

"I have two MS patients who are now taking fingolimod and they are already feeling better because they no longer suffer from the side effects associated with injections, such as tiredness and redness at the administration site," he added.

Delaying progression

Fingolimod, which has also been approved in Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, US, Russia, Canada, Australia, Switzerland and Europe, has been shown in research papers to be more effective at delaying disease progression than some of the most commonly used current treatments.

"Preliminary research suggests that fingolimod has the edge over other MS medications in efficacy and effectiveness in terms of reducing the progression of the disease and relapses, which will be a major advantage for Oman's MS patients that number around 200," commented Dr Al Khabouri.

Research figures show MS affects around 25 to 50 people in every 100,000 in Arabic populations and about 100 per 100,000 in Northern Europeans who display the highest risk of MS across the world, with prevalence seeming to increase with further distance from the equator.

Nervous system

MS is a nervous system disease with no known cause that affects the brain and spinal cord, leading to symptoms such as visual disturbances, muscle weakness, trouble with co-ordination and balance, sensations such as numbness, prickling or "pins and needles" and thinking and memory problems.

Globally MS affects women more than men and often begins between the ages of 20 and 40.

The disease can be mild but some people lose the ability to write, speak or walk. There is no cure for MS but medicines can slow disease progression and help control symptoms.