Author: Rachael Hansford

New Rehabilitation Prescription – RP2019 now available  

Posted on March 14, 2019 by - Industry News, Rehabilitation Articles

A new Rehabilitation Prescription (RP2019), the tool that documents the rehabilitation needs of the individual with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), is now available, with versions available for adults and children.

Commenting on RP2019, Professor Chris Moran, National Clinical Director for Trauma to NHS England, and Professor of Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery at Nottingham University Hospital said:

Neurorehabilitation is a key component of the major trauma network; an essential part of good trauma care and good patient outcomes.  Rehabilitation needs should be assessed shortly after a patient is admitted to the major trauma centre, delivered during the inpatient phase, and continued in a trauma unit or in the local community.  This new RP details the neurorehabilitation needs of both children and adults, and in order to maintain the continuity of rehabilitation, a copy should be given to both the patient and/or family as well as their GP.

Professor Michael Barnes, ABI Alliance Chair said: “The Acquired Brain Injury  Alliance is a collaborative venture between charities, professional groups and industry coalitions working in the field of ABI.  We are supporting the availability of this revised version of the RP to emphasise its key role in ensuring patients access  neurorehabilitation services following discharge.  However, the RP has no value if the individual with an ABI and their GP don’t receive a copy.  And if the individual and the GP don’t know what rehabilitation is required then no access to services can be planned or implemented.”

The report produced in September 2018 by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Acquired Brain Injury (APPG on ABI) entitled ‘Acquired Brain Injury and Neurorehabilitation – Time for Change’ outlined the critical role of neurorehabilitation in the ABI care pathway and the need for RPs for all brain injury survivors following discharge from acute care1.

RP2019 stipulates that a rehabilitation assessment should take place within 48-72 hours of the patient’s admission and has to be completed for all major trauma patients who need rehabilitation at discharge2.  The RP must contain core items and be developed with the involvement of the individual and/or their family/carers, and administered by a specialist health care professional in rehabilitation.

RP2019 should be completed by health care professionals after a multidisciplinary team assessment and signed off by senior staff members, at a minimum a consultant or specialist trainee in rehabilitation medicine, Band-7 specialist rehabilitation clinician or major trauma coordinator.  It can be provided as a single document for both the patient and professionals, or as two separate documents to be given at the point of discharge.

The ABI Alliance supports the use of the RP for every individual, both children, young people and adults with an ABI, on discharge from hospital, with a copy sent to their GP.  This will then provide a useful resource for the GP to work with the individual and facilitate access to rehabilitation services in the community, maximising the individual’s health outcomes.

References
1. Acquired Brain Injury and Neurorehabilitation – Time for Change.  All-Party Parliamentary Group on Acquired Brain Injury Report, September 2018. https://www.ukabif.org.uk/campaigns/appg-report/ (accessed January 2019).

  1. Major Trauma Rehabilitation Prescription 2019 TARN data entry guidance document October 2018. http://www.c4ts.qmul.ac.uk/downloads/mt-rehabilitation-prescription-2019-guidance.pdf (accessed January 2019).

Australian medicinal cannabis company Althea to launch in UK

Posted on February 13, 2019 by - Industry News

London, UK – Wednesday 13th February 2019 – Australian medicinal cannabis company Althea Group Holdings Limited (Althea) has today launched in the UK bringing its significant heritage as an experienced supplier of cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPM). This launch comes following changes that allow specialist doctors to prescribe CBPM to certain patients from 1st November 2018.[1]

Althea MMJ UK Ltd (Althea UK) will initially be supplying CBPM through its strategic partnership with Aphria, a global cannabis company who have already collaborated with health systems around the world. Althea UK is already working with prescribers in the UK and expects to be supplying products from March 2019.

Althea’s Australian production facility is projected to be operational for 2020 and the company expects that the UK will create a second significant distribution channel for Althea’s Australian grown and manufactured products. Recent research suggests that from a population of 66 million people, that CBPM could be suitable for up to 2.9 million UK patients.[2]

Althea CEO, Josh Fegan, said:

Althea’s mission is to facilitate the appropriate provision of cannabis-based products for medicinal use where it can improve patients’ lives. The UK Government’s positive regulatory change represents another major milestone in the advancement of medical cannabis around the world. We look forward to collaborating with UK health authorities and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to share our extensive experience in providing cannabis-based products for medicinal use to tackle unmet medical needs across a range of conditions and disease areas.

Aphria President, Jakob Ripshtein, said:

We’re proud to be one of the first Licensed Producers to support patients in the UK with access to high-quality medicinal cannabis products following the recent legislation change through this extension of our strategic partnership with Althea.

UK patients can only be prescribed cannabis-based products for medicinal use by a specialist doctor on the General Medical Council (GMC) Specialist Register. The Department of Health and Social Care has asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to produce a clinical guideline on the prescribing of cannabis-based products for medicinal use, expected by October 2019.

Althea UK will also be launching Althea UK Concierge, to provide medical education resources for HCPs and guidance on how to access Althea UK products.

Althea CEO, Josh Fegan, added:

Concierge provides comprehensive medical education for healthcare professionals, including clinical evidence, in support of Althea UK products. The platform streamlines the registration process and facilitates patient referrals from primary care doctors to Althea UK specialist prescribers.

Medical education will be outsourced under an exclusive partnership with specialist medical affairs partner, Ashfield Healthcare, similar to Althea’s Australian operations.

Since entering the Australian market in May 2018, 93 registered HCPs are now prescribing Althea CBPM to more than 328 patients across Australia, representing around 20% of the total market.

About cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPM)

Current guidance from the NHS[3] states that medical cannabis in England is only likely to be prescribed for the following conditions when other treatments weren’t suitable or hadn’t helped:

  • children and adults with rare, severe forms of epilepsy
  • adults with vomiting or nausea caused by chemotherapy

About Althea

Althea is a patient-focussed company producing cannabis-based products for medicinal use. Althea has become a leading supplier of medical cannabis products in Australia since it was founded in Melbourne in 2017. Althea’s focus on patient care underpins its business strategy and its innovative web-based platform and mobile application, known as Althea Concierge, is designed to educate and support patient access to medicinal cannabis in Australia. Althea has also engaged a team of medical science liaisons to assist medical practitioners to become prescribers, and pharmacists to become suppliers, of Althea products. For more information about Althea visit http://www.althea.com.au  

Aphria is a leading global cannabis company driven by an unrelenting commitment to their people, product quality and innovation. Headquartered in Leamington, Ontario, Aphria has been setting the standard for the low-cost production of pure pharmaceutical-grade cannabis at scale, grown in the most natural conditions possible. Focusing on untapped opportunities and backed by the latest technologies, Aphria is committed to bringing breakthrough innovation to the global cannabis market. Rooted in their founders’ multi-generational expertise in commercial agriculture, Aphria drives sustainable long-term shareholder value through a diversified approach to innovation, strategic partnerships and global expansion, with a presence in more than 10 countries across 5 continents.

[1] Department of Health and Social Care. 31st October 2018. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/letter-guidance-on-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-usepdf . Last accessed: February 2019.

[2] Prohibition Partners, The European Cannabis Report, January 2019, 4th Edition, p.83

[3] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/medical-cannabis/

ACNR announces new partnership with Taylor & Francis

Posted on February 4, 2019 by - Book Reviews, Industry News

Routledge and CRC Press – part of Taylor & Francis Group – publish a wide range of books within the fields of Behavioural Science and Medicine. This contains a large collection of Neurology and Neuropsychology books including a number of dedicated series. They work with leading authors in their fields to bring the latest research and professional methods to the forefront in their books.

The aim of this reciprocal partnership is to support our readers by offering them a range of benefits such as 20% discount on all books purchased via Routledge or CRC Press, free content resources, prize draws & much more to come. We envisage this as a long and fruitful partnership that delivers additional exclusive benefits to our readers.

To find out more, visit our member landing page here

We are very proud to be embarking on this partnership with ACNR, and delighted to be able to support the journal’s goals to reach new audiences and expand the range of reader resources. We have a lot of exciting activity planned  for the year ahead and look forward to growing this partnership throughout 2019.

Abigail Miller, Marketing Manager at Routledge

About Taylor & Francis:

Taylor & Francis partners with world-class authors, from leading scientists and researchers, to scholars and professionals operating at the top of their fields. Together, we publish in all areas of the Humanities, Social Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, Science, Technology and Medicine sectors. We are one of the world’s leading publishers of scholarly journals, books, eBooks, text books and reference works.

From our network of offices in Oxford, New York, Philadelphia, Boca Raton, Boston, Melbourne, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, Stockholm, New Delhi and Cape Town, Taylor & Francis staff provide local expertise and support to our editors, societies and authors and tailored, efficient customer service to our library colleagues.

Christchurch Group announces appointment of Donald Muir as Non-Executive Chairman

Posted on January 18, 2019 by - Industry News

Christchurch Group, a leading operator of specialist neurological rehabilitation, has recently announced the appointment of Donald Muir as Non-Executive Chairman.

With over 25 years’ experience of managing positive business transformation in the telecoms and technology and healthcare sectors, Donald’s knowledge will be an asset to the organisation.

Notably in healthcare, Donald led the operational transformation of three NHS Trusts, resulting in substantial improvement in performance, care quality and patient satisfaction.

Prior to his appointment at Christchurch Group, Donald was Non-Executive Director of Cambian plc, a leader in the provision of children’s care services and autism schools, delivering improvements in operational performance and quality of care.

Richard Mckenzie, CEO of Christchurch Group, added:

Donald’s experience will be invaluable to our organisation and we are looking forward to working with him to further develop the business and continually improve on the quality of service we are able to provide to our patients.

Donald added:

I’m excited about joining the Christchurch team. In my role I will be dedicated to supporting the group in succeeding with their vision to be the leader of neurological rehabilitation in the healthcare sector.

Donald’s focus for the next couple of months will be to work closely with the executive team to enhance capabilities and outputs, with the key focus being on the continued high quality of care delivery and ensuring full occupancy of the facilities.

Christchurch Group was established in 1998 to provide high quality brain injury rehabilitation within a community setting. The organisation has since grown into a leading provider of specialist neurological rehabilitation that offers a range of specialist services across eight centres in York, Lincoln, Birmingham, Northampton, Bedford and Harwell in Oxfordshire.

NHS England will fund everolimus for TSC-related refractory epilepsy

Posted on January 3, 2019 by - Industry News, Neurology News, Online First

The Tuberous Sclerosis Association (TSA) has welcomed NHS England’s announcement that everolimus will be funded from April 2019 for patients living with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC)-related epilepsy, where the condition has not responded to standard anti-epilepsy medicines (refractory epilepsy).

TSC is a rare genetic condition affecting 1 in 6,000 people that can lead to growths in various organs of the body. These growths may be referred to as benign and non-cancerous tumours, with problems from the growths being caused mainly because of their size and where they are in the body. The organs most commonly affected by the growths are the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin and lungs.

Epilepsy is the most common neurological feature of TSC, affecting at least eight out of ten people living with the condition. More than 50 per cent of people with TSC who have epilepsy will not respond to standard anti-epilepsy medicines and may need an alternative form of treatment, such as everolimus. Epilepsy is generally more difficult to control for individuals living with TSC who have moderate or severe learning disabilities.

Philippa Ward, mother to seven-year-old Thomas who lives with TSC, commented on NHS England’s decision: “Everolimus has changed our lives. Thomas used to have eight seizures a day, but this went down to two a week when he started on a clinical trial investigating this medicine as a treatment for epilepsy associated with TSC. His seizures also became much more predictable, which really helped with our family life. Fewer seizures meant that Thomas’ development came on and his brilliant personality really began to shine through. It’s a fantastic Christmas present to know that more children and families living with TSC will be able to find out if this drug can help them too.”

Dr Chris Kingswood, Consultant Nephrologist and Head of Research Strategy at the Tuberous Sclerosis Association (TSA), said:

NHS England has always recognised that there is enough clinical evidence to commission everolimus for TSC-related refractory epilepsy. The 20 per cent chance of seizure freedom and 60 per cent chance of significant seizure reduction from treating this group of patients with everolimus is a massive improvement compared to using traditional anti-epileptic drugs. Clinicians supporting people living with TSC will be thrilled to add everolimus to the range of treatments that we can offer to patients with TSC-related refractory epilepsy.

TSA Chief Executive Louise Fish says:

Around 70 people in England are currently prescribed everolimus for TSC-related kidney and brain tumours. NHS England estimates that a further 300 people in England will benefit from treatment with everolimus for TSC-related refractory epilepsy. We’re delighted that NHS England has decided to fund this life-changing and potentially life-saving treatment from April 2019 onwards. We’ll be working with TSC clinics across England to help them get ready to prescribe this drug to more people who can benefit from it.

Everolimus can be life-changing for people with TSC-related refractory epilepsy. When the TSA spoke to 15 people who had experience of taking the drug:

  • 14 out of 15 people reported significant improvements to their epilepsy and quality of life as a result of taking everolimus.
  • 5 out of 15 people reported that the treatment was ‘life-changing’.
  • 3 out of 15 people reported that they had had no seizures since taking everolimus.

Everolimus is a holistic treatment for people living with TSC. In addition to treating TSC-related refractory epilepsy, there are further benefits to patients including preventing high risk of kidney problems, lung problems and brain tumours (subependymal giant cell astrocytomas, or SEGAs). Everolimus can also be life-saving for people with TSC-related refractory epilepsy because it reduces the risk of sudden death from epilepsy (SUDEP).

The Tuberous Sclerosis Association (TSA) (http://www.tuberous-sclerosis.org) is the only UK charity dedicated to supporting people affected by TSC.

People in Scotland get access to new first-in-class treatment Ocrevus®▼(ocrelizumab) for multiple sclerosis

Posted on December 13, 2018 by - Industry News

People in Scotland get access to new first-in-class treatment Ocrevus®▼(ocrelizumab) for multiple sclerosis[1]

  • Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) recommends ocrelizumab for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis1
  • Over 11,000 Scots are living with multiple sclerosis[2]
  • Incidence of multiple sclerosis in Scotland remains the highest in the UK2

10 December 2018, Welwyn Garden City – The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has recommended ocrelizumab as a treatment option for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in adults with active disease defined by clinical or imaging features who are contraindicated or otherwise unsuitable for alemtuzumab.1

The announcement marks a major milestone for Scotland where there are over 11,000 people living with multiple sclerosis.2  Scotland has one of the highest incidences of multiple sclerosis in the UK with Orkney recording the world’s highest rate.2,[3]

RRMS is the most common type of MS and is characterised by episodes of new or worsening signs or symptoms (relapses) followed by periods of recovery.[4],[5] Ocrelizumab is a first-in-class therapy with twice-yearly dosing and has one of the least burdensome monitoring requirements compared to other currently available infusion based treatments in RRMS.[6],[7],[8]

Ocrelizumab is licensed for both relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) and primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) in over 68 countries globally, with over 70,000 people having been treated with this first-in-class treatment.[9]

‘This is really welcome news for people with relapsing MS in Scotland, as it gives them access to proven treatment alongside people in the rest of the UK,” said Linden Muirhead, Director, Information and Engagement at the MS Trust. “We are also hopeful that ocrelizumab will be made available for those with early primary progressive MS across the UK in the near future. There are currently no treatments that can slow the progression of this form of the disease, in which disability accumulates significantly faster than for those with the relapsing form.”

Ocrelizumab has been shown to reduce relapses per year by nearly half, slow the worsening of disability, and reduce the number of new MRI lesions over a 96 week controlled treatment period compared with subcutaneous interferon beta-1a.10 Ocrelizumab has also been shown to have a safety profile generally comparable to subcutaneous injection interferon beta-1a comparative control groups (44 mcg administered three times per week).10 Rates were generally comparable in both groups for serious adverse events and serious infections compared with patients in the interferon beta-1a comparative control groups.[10] The most common reported adverse events include infusion-related reactions, upper respiratory tract infections, nasopharyngitis, headaches and urinary tract infections.10

Ocrelizumab is the first and only licensed treatment for (early) PPMS6 which means the process for reimbursement is complex. In clinical trials, ocrelizumab has shown it could delay the need for a wheelchair by seven years in people with PPMS, compared to placebo.[11],[12]

“We are thrilled that people in Scotland with RRMS can now access and benefit from ocrelizumab. However this isn’t the end of our journey in supporting the MS community in Scotland,” said Dr Marius Scholtz, Integrated Franchise Leader, Neuroscience, Roche Products Ltd, UK. “We want people with early PPMS, a much harder-to-treat form of the illness that devastatingly has no current disease-modifying treatment available on the NHS, to have access to ocrelizumab, and will continue to work with the SMC to make sure that this happens as soon as possible.”

Encephalitis Society Silver Jubilee PhD Fellowship 2019 – Host academic Institution sought

Posted on November 21, 2018 by - Awards & Appointments, Industry News, Online First

The Encephalitis Society are seeking an academic institution to host the 2019 Encephalitis Society PhD Fellowship.

The successful institution must demonstrate past excellence in neurological research related to encephalitis and have an active neurological research programme.

The Encephalitis Society also expects to see a strong commitment from the host institution in the form of 50% matched funding for the studentship.

The theme for 2019 is Recovery and Rehabilitation after Encephalitis.

This is envisaged as a three year full-time fellowship, or a part-time fellowship operating on a pro-rata basis, starting in April 2019.

Deadline: Monday, December 31, 2018

The scheme is open to higher education institutions worldwide.

For more information:

The Encephalitis Society

+44 (0)1653 692583

admin@encephalitis.info

www.encephalitis.info/phd2019

The Encephalitis Society is the operating name of the Encephalitis Support Group

Registered Charity Number in England and Wales Number: 1087843, Registered Charity Number in Scotland: SCO48210, Charitable Company registered in England and Wales Number: 04189027

Emgality® (galcanezumab) Receives European Commission Approval for the Prophylaxis of Migraine in Adults

Posted on November 19, 2018 by - Industry News

Eli Lilly and Company today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorisation for Emgality® (galcanezumab) for the prophylaxis of migraine in adults who have at least four migraine days per month1. Galcanezumab is a humanised monoclonal antibody that binds to the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which plays a role in migraine attacks, blocking its downstream function.1 Galcanezumab is a once-monthly, subcutaneous injection that can be self-administered via an autoinjector pen or a pre-filled syringe, and has been shown to provide a greater reduction in monthly migraine headache days (MHD) and an improvement in functioning compared to placebo in three clinical studies.1

Migraine is ranked as the third most common disease in the world and the leading cause of disability among neurological disorders.2 It is a neurological disease characterised by recurrent episodes of severe headache, lasting 4-72 hours, accompanied by other symptoms including nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, and changes in vision.3 Episodic migraine is characterised by those with migraine who have 0 to 14 headache days per month, while chronic migraine is characterised by 15 or more headache days per month.3

“Severe migraine is a debilitating disease with limited treatment options. This approval marks another major milestone for galcanezumab, and offers the potential for reducing the number and severity of migraine attacks for patients and improving their quality of life.” said Dr Arash Tahbaz, Senior Medical Director UK and Northern Europe.

The marketing authorisation for galcanezumab is based on data from two six-month placebo-controlled Phase III trials,1 EVOLVE-1 and EVOLVE-2 in patients with episodic migraine, and REGAIN, a three-month placebo-controlled study1, in patients with chronic migraine. Episodic migraine is characterised by those with migraine who have 0 to 14 headache days per month, while chronic migraine is characterised by 15 or more headache days per month.4 The primary endpoint for each study was to assess if treatment with galcanezumab could achieve a mean change from baseline of monthly MHDs compared to placebo. All three studies were able to achieve such a primary endpoint, in which patients treated with galcanezumab had statistically significant reduced mean monthly MHDs in the first month and every following month in the treatment period compared to placebo.

In EVOLVE-11 and EVOLVE-2,1 which studied patients with episodic migraine, the majority of patients (~60%) treated with galcanezumab achieved at least a 50% reduction, on average, in MHDs in any given month (p<0.001) compared to 38.6% and 36% of patients on placebo in EVOLVE-1 and EVOLVE-2, respectively. In these studies, more than one-third of patients achieved at least a 75% reduction, on average, in monthly MHDs in any given month (p<0.001) compared to 19.3% and 17.8% of patient on placebo in EVOLVE-1 and EVOLVE-2, respectively. One in seven patients (15.6%) were migraine headache-free in any given month in EVOLVE-1, on average (p<0.001) compared to 6.2% of patients on placebo.

The most commonly reported adverse drug reactions were injection site pain (10.1 %/11.6 %), injection site reactions (9.9 %/14.5 %), vertigo (0.7 %/1.2 %), constipation (1.0 %/1.5 %), pruritus (0.7 %/1.2 %) and urticaria (0.3 %/0.1 %). Most of the reactions were mild or moderate in severity.1

The authorisation follows a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) that was received in September 2018.