New patients dispensed multiple sclerosis treatments in 2020

16 March 2021

Dear [name and contact details withheld]

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Thank you for your request dated 25 February 2021 under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) for information relating to multiple sclerosis treatments. You requested:

1. The number of new patients (patients starting treatment) that were first dispensed approved treatment with natalizumab under Special Authority in 2020, reported by month
2. The number of new patients (patients starting treatment) that were first dispensed approved treatment with fingolimod under Special Authority in 2020, reported by month
3. The number of new patients (patients starting treatment) that were first dispensed approved treatment with ocrelizumab under Special Authority in 2020, reported by month
4. The number of new patients (patients starting treatment) that were first dispensed approved treatment with dimethyl fumarate under Special Authority in 2020, reported by month
5. The number of new patients (patients starting treatment) that were first dispensed approved treatment with teriflunomide under Special Authority in 2020, reported by month
6. The number of new patients (patients starting treatment) that were first dispensed approved treatment with betaferon under Special Authority in 2020, reported by month
7. The number of new patients (patients starting treatment) that were first dispensed approved treatment with avonex under Special Authority in 2020, reported by month
8. The number of new patients (patients starting treatment) that were first dispensed approved treatment with copaxone under Special Authority in 2020, reported by month

Please find the information requested included in the tables below.

Please note:

• A ‘new patient’ has been defined as a person who has never been dispensed the specified medicine.
• Numbers are for people who received medicines funded via Section B of the Pharmaceutical Schedule

We trust that this information answers your queries. We are making our information more freely available, so we will now publish selected OIA responses (excluding personal details) on our website. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about this.

Yours sincerely

Rachel Read
Manager, Policy and Government Services

Table 1: New patients dispensed natalizumab in 2020

Table 2: New patients dispensed fingolimod in 2020

 Table 3: New patients dispensed ocrelizumab in 2020

Table 4: New patients dispensed dimethyl fumarate in 2020

Table 5: New patients dispensed teriflunomide in 2020

Table 6: New patients dispensed interferon beta-1-beta (Betaferon) in 2020

Table 7: New patients dispensed interferon beta-1-alpha (Avonex) in 2020

Table 8: New patients dispensed glatiramer acetate (Copaxone) in 2020