CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – UVA Health is likely the first in the nation to administer a new form of a very effective drug against two forms of multiple sclerosis, but neurologist Dr. Robert Shin says more patients are lined up. A UVA Health MS patient Friday afternoon is the first to receive a drug called Ocrevus Zunovo… which is actually a derivative of the MS drug Ocrevus but is more easily administered to the patient.

Dr. Shin says Ocrevus is an IV drug that takes several hours to administer, with a need for a long observation time afterwards. But Ocrevus Zunovo is a 10-minute subcutaneous injection, with just 15-minutes of observation time afterwards. The FDA has approved this new drug for two forms of MS, a condition that causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord, leading to a range of symptoms.