Yesterday the approval was made for Ocrelizumab for multiple sclerosis. If you don’t have access to the Internet, a newspaper , listen to the news, watch the news, have a friend, or a loved one, or possibly live under a rock, you might not of heard.  This drug has been showing promise and talked about for a long time now. I’ve actually been angry at all the buzz this drug has been getting., The reason why is because I’ve been on it sister drug for about a year now. Rituxan or Rituximab is Ocrelizumab or its street name Ocrevus sister. I wrote this post about the two explaining the main difference https://multipleexperiences.org/2017/01/12/ocrelizumab-versus-rituximab-rituxan/.  The game that the pharmaceutical companies make to continue to make money is very frustrating. What aggravates me even more though, is my insurance company. Here we been watching all the cuts that Trump is making to the veterans and elderly programs and I’m on a state insurance plan that wouldn’t approve Rituxan which costs according to very well: https://www.verywell.com/rituxan-rituximab-what-you-need-to-know-190027
The cost of a course of treatment with Rituxan costs about $9,088, said to be equivalent to the TNF blocker drugs on an annual basis.

but would cover Ocrelizumab which according to CNN http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/29/health/multiple-sclerosis-drug-fda-approved/

…at list price is $65,000 per year, which is on par with other drugs that treat the more common form of the disease.

So why did I decide to put the possibility of going on the more expensive drug back on the table?

1. No matter what any MRI will say or any test shows, I know I’m worse than I was a year ago.
2. I am part relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis and part secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. These drugs hold the relapsing side but nothing is holding my secondary side. Since this one was shown for primary progressive multiple sclerosis, maybe, just maybe, it will help secondary.
3. Im tired of fighting with my insurance company. They aren’t even paying for the actual drug (I get Rituxan through the patient assistance program) yet they still deny the infusion.
4. The side effects should be the same, after all they are basically the same drug.
5. Rituxan isn’t holding me so maybe I need to change and Ocrevus is a human based antibody against Rituxan which is a chemical based antibody, maybe there is a slight difference.
6. There STILL is NO therapy for secondary progressive MS.
7. THERE IS NO CURE FOR MS.