Under-the-skin injection of Tysabri gets licence in UK and Ireland


15 April 2021

A new way of taking Tysabri (natalizumab) has been approved for the UK and Ireland.

The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and European Commission have granted marketing authorisation for an under-the-skin (subcutaneous) injection of Tysabri.

At the moment, it takes several hours to have a Tysabri infusion in a hospital clinic and some people have to travel a long distance to get to their infusion clinic.

Subcutaneous injections will take less time than the infusion and could be given in a clinic closer to home, such as at a local hospital or health centre. Monthly subcutaneous Tysabri will be given by a health professional.

Clinical trials have shown that monthly subcutaneous injections of Tysabri are as effective as monthly infusions at reducing relapses and lesions seen on MRI scans. About 7% of people (less than 1 in 10) experienced mild or moderate injection site reactions when having a subcutaneous injection of Tysabri.

More about Tysabri

Tysabri is a disease modifying drug for very active relapsing remitting MS (two or more relapses in one year, with signs of increasing or new lesions between two consecutive MRI scans). It reduces the number of relapses by about two thirds (70%), compared to taking placebo.

Common side effects include dizziness, nausea, urticaria (a skin rash) and shivering. Treatment with Tysabri may increase the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), an uncommon brain infection.

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