However, according to a report in the journal PharmacoEconomics published on Tuesday, long-term use of beta interferon may save money by slowing down the onset of the disease and cutting the costs associated with dealing with disability. If beta interferon can delay disease progression in the longer term, the economic impact would be substantial. The authors, Dr Malcolm Kendrick and Dr Kian Johnson, from Macclesfield health economics analysts Interphase, say that previously the cost of beta interferon has been calculated on the assumption that its benefits do not last beyond the first two years. This, they argue, is wrong, and that the overall cost of the drug is much less if its long-term impact is taken into consideration.
Users say beta interferon reduces the frequency and severity of the painful bouts.
Nice chairman Sir Michael Rawlins has stressed that no final decision has been taken on beta interferon. MS is incurable and causes the body's immune system to destroy a sheath protecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis, pain and tremors.