EDINBURGH, Scotland, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, Wednesday blasted Scotland's ban on Biogen Idec's multiple-sclerosis drug Tysabri.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium in December advised against the use of Tysabri on economic grounds. The Scottish Parliament is slated to hold a debate on the issue Thursday.
"If a drug can help tackle MS -- particularly the very aggressive type of relapsing MS we are talking about -- it should not be ruled out because of cost alone," Rowling, whose mother suffered from the disease, said in a statement issued by the MS Society Scotland.
"Once again, decisions about treatment are being made by accountants rather than clinicians, and I hope (members of Scottish Parliament) will speak up on behalf of the thousands of families affected by MS across Scotland," Rowling added.
MS Society Scotland Director Mark Hazelwood, who will attend a Tysabri briefing for parliament Wednesday, said: "We at the MS Society believe people affected by MS in Scotland should have the same access to treatments as their counterparts do in Ireland, Germany, the USA and elsewhere."
