Canada has one of the highest rates of Multiple Sclerosis or MS in the world with an estimated 77,000 Canadians living with the disease, and 11 people being diagnosed each day with Saskatchewan having approximately 37,000 people who live with MS. Ocrevus is the first MS medication approved to treat early primary progressive MS, and the thirteenth option for patients with relapsing-remitting MS, the most common form of the condition.

Jessica MacPherson Director of Government Relations and Communications for Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada talks about the importance of Ocrevus, "This is an exciting announcement for a couple of reasons. First because Ocrevus is the first Health Canada approved therapy that can be used for someone with early primary progressive MS so previously to the Health Canada approval of Ocervus in early 2018, there were no drug therapy that someone who was living with progressive MS could access to help manage their disease. There are 14 therapies approved by Health Canada for MS, but those are all for relapsing Armenia MS. So if you were to receive a diagnosis of primary progressive MS or live with a progressive form of MS previous to the approval of this therapy there were no drugs that were available for some with that type of diagnosis."

MS is currently classified as an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord). The disease attacks myelin, the protective covering of the nerves, causing inflammation and often damaging the myelin. Myelin is necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses through nerve fibres. If damage to myelin is slight, nerve impulses travel with minor interruptions; however, if the damage is substantial and if scar tissue replaces the myelin, nerve impulses may be completely disrupted, and the nerve fibres themselves can be damaged.

MacPherson added, "Saskatchewan is only the third province in Canada to add Ocervus to the public formally, so that's important because we're really continuing to lead the way, and the government is showing that they're supportive of offering another option to access and doing that ahead of their counterpart so I think It's really exciting news in Saskatchewan for the MS community."