The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved tofersen (Qalsody) on 22 July 2025 for the treatment of adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) caused by pathological variants in the SOD1 gene. Biogen, the manufacturer of tofersen, has submitted an application to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) to determine whether treatment should be commissioned within the NHS.
While NICE and SMC appraisals are ongoing, tofersen treatment is not currently funded by the NHS. Biogen has made the treatment available in the UK free of charge to eligible patients on a “named patient basis” in an Expanded Access Program (EAP). However, centres offering tofersen must then cover all associated service costs, including pharmacy preparation, the clinical staff required for administration and monitoring, including any out-of-hours adverse event management.
Brighton Site at capacity - unable to accept new patients
London - Imperial College Healthcare (Charing Cross Hospital) providing service to patients covered by their MND Centre
London - Royal London (Barts) providing service to patients covered by their MND Centre
London - UCL Site currently has capacity to accept new patients
Newcastle In set-up
Oxford Site at capacity - unable to accept new patients
Sheffield Site at capacity - unable to accept new patients
Stoke Site at capacity - unable to accept new patients
A scientific paper was published in December 2025 exploring the question:
What are the long-term effects of early-start and placebo/delayed-start tofersen treatment in adults with SOD1 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)?
The published scientific paper can be viewed by clicking on the button below
A lay summary of these results has been written and is available on the Readable Research website