MS patient’s life ‘crumbling’ after being switched to cheaper drug under NHS cost-cutting drive

A woman with multiple sclerosis (MS) says she has been left with debilitating symptoms after the NHS switched her to a cheaper drug.

Julie Cowdrill is among scores of MS patients who say they have suffered a regression in their condition after being switched from a drug called Tysabri to one called Tyruko, with complaints that a “cost-cutting exercise” is coming at the expense of their health.

NHS England is hoping to save £1bn over the next five years by switching to biosimilar drugs – medicines that have been shown not to be clinically different from the original drug, but are made far more cheaply.

However, in Ms Cowdrill’s case, she has been left suffering from headaches and extreme fatigue, and has experienced worsenening mobility since she started taking the drug in December 2024.

“Myself and many others have said that it feels like we’ve regressed 10 or 15 years after all the work we’ve done to get better. It’s like the rug has been pulled from under you – it’s dreadful,” she told The Independent.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it is “aware” that some patients have experienced side effects, but that a rigorous assessment has “demonstrated no clinically meaningful differences” between the drugs.

A spokesperson for the MS Trust said it had been contacted by patients who have noticed “significant symptom changes” after switching from Tysabri to Tyruko (both of which are natalizumab products).

“It is vital that we fully understand the experiences of people with MS when switching from one natalizumab product to another. We are talking to all stakeholders, including people with MS, to ensure that this data is collected and shared transparently with the MS community and the healthcare teams responsible for prescribing them,” the spokesperson said.

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Source: The Independent, 26 May 2025