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Our Sativex campaign: one year on

Last week marked one year since the launch of our Sativex campaign. We’ve been reflecting on the successes we’ve seen so far. And our plans for the next phase of the campaign have begun.

We’ve seen significant improvements in access to Sativex in England since we started our campaign.

Your support has already helped us change lives

Sativex is a cannabis-based drug that can be used to treat muscle spasms and stiffness when other treatments haven’t worked. The treatment was approved in England in 2019. But many health bodies still don’t prescribe it, resulting in an unacceptable postcode lottery.

Thousands of us wrote to our local health body to call for an end to this last year. Every single health body in England which wasn’t prescribing Sativex has now been contacted by campaigners. We also briefed 345 MPs on the issue in their area and mobilised dozens of them to take up the case.

We’ve seen significant improvements in availability since then. A total of 22 local health bodies introduced the drug. And the number of local NHS bodies in England who routinely fund Sativex increased by 45%.

Where can I access Sativex in the UK?

Sativex is now available across the UK for moderate to severe spasticity where other treatments haven't worked. It was approved in Wales in 2014, in Northern Ireland in 2021 and in 2022 in Scotland.

We’re monitoring whether people who need Sativex are able to access it in each nation. 

Check the status of Sativex access in your area

What happens now?

We know there’s still more to do for Sativex access in England. So we’ve already started planning the next stage of our campaign for next year.

Nick Moberly, our CEO, says “Our goal is for every single person with MS who’s eligible for Sativex to be able to access it. And although we’re off to a strong start, we have a long way to go to make this a reality.”

If you want to contact your health body before 2023, we can help. Contact us at [email protected].

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