aHSCT in the news: We’re fed up waiting for it to be made available here
A 10,000-strong petition asking Health New Zealand to extend “game-changing” stem cell treatment to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is set to be delivered to Parliament. The petition started by Aucklander Joan Perry, whose daughter Anne Besley has MS, calls for autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) to be made available for selected patients in New Zealand. Doctors […]
aHSCT in the media – Bronwyn Hutchinson interview on Today FM
Listen how Bronwyn struggled with every day life, couldn’t look after her children or hold a book, and how it led her to raise $100,000 and head to Mexico for life changing treatment, aHSCT. The interview was aired this morning (26/07/22) on Today FM and you can listen here: https://www.todayfm.co.nz/home/podcasts/tova-catchup-podcast—today-fm.html Fast forward to 20.11 to […]
Together we did it!!!
Multiple Sclerosis NZ is pleased to see the announcement this week from Pharmac to provide access to funded MS treatments earlier than ever before. The new criteria will no longer require those clinically diagnosed with MS to wait for a second episode of symptoms, attack or relapse, before they can begin treatment. These changes […]
Do you qualify for antiviral medication?
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 and your symptoms started in the past 5 days and you are on Fingolimod or Ocrelizumab for your MS, you may be eligible for antiviral medication to treat COVID-19. Your GP can prescribe this for you. The antiviral drug available in the community to treat COVID-19 is called […]
Proposal to fund treatment earlier for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis
We are excited to announce that following 7 years of relentless advocacy by Multiple Sclerosis NZ (MSNZ), Pharmac have opened the consultation process to increase earlier access to treatments for relapsing remitting MS. We now need YOUR HELP to get this over the line! In 2014 Pharmac approved the funding of Tysabri and Gilenya and […]
My aHSCT story – Lucy Kerly
Lucy Kerly had aHSCT on the NHS at Hammersmith Hospital in London at the beginning of 2022. Both she and her husband live with MS – Steve was diagnosed with relapsing MS in 2003 when he was 29 and travelled to Mexico for HSCT in 2016. Then, in 2020, Lucy found out she also had […]
My aHSCT Story – Bronwyn Hutchison
I was 30 years old and working as a civil litigator when I woke up one morning in July 2011 with a complete loss of vision in my right eye. I was diagnosed with optic neuritis and warned of the link with multiple sclerosis. Within a few months I had an MRI which showed multiple […]
My aHSCT story – Celia Attwood
My name is Celia Attwood, I’m 32 years old and a mum of 2 beautiful boys. I had been to see my G.P numerous times over the years before being diagnosed with MS but with no definite answers and symptoms always going away I had just got on with life. But I knew something […]
Covid-19 in Ocrelizumab-treated people with Multiple Sclerosis
This article, written by the Journal of Multiple Sclerosis and related disorders, (MSARD) includes data from clinical trials, post marketing safety surveillance and a US electronic medical records database, Optum. The objective was to better understand the SARS-CoV-2 infection in ocrelizumab-treated people with MS. The results show: Roche/Genentech clinical trial data: There were 51 (1.3%) […]