It look's like you don't have Adobe Flash Player installed. Get it now.
A disease affecting nearly 7,000 Americans has caught the attention of lawmakers and drug companies in Missouri.
K-S-M-U's Katie Hummel reports.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IS A DISEASE THAT AFFECTS THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.
AMY SWEARINGIN IS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE MISSOURI MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS ACTION COMMITTEE : A COMMITTEE WORKING TO EDUCATE CITIZENS AND LAWMAKERS ABOUT MS.
MS AFFECTS THE BRAIN'S ABILITY TO CONTROL FUNCTIONS SUCH AS WALKING, TALKING, SEEING, HEARING, AND ARM MOVEMENTS.
WHILE THERE IS NO CURE FOR MS, THERE ARE SOME DRUGS WHICH CAN MODIFY THE COURSE OF THE DISEASE.
BUT SWEARINGGIN SAYS THESE DRUGS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE, WHICH IS A PROBLEM FOR SOME.
SO, DRUG COMPANIES ARE NOW WORKING WITH LAWMAKERS TO HELP MAKE THESE DRUGS MORE AFFORDABLE.
A PROGRAM TO HELP LOWER THE COSTS OF MS DRUGS IS CURRENTLY MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH MISSOURI LEGISLATION.
REPRESENTATIVE JAY WASSON, OF LAWRENCE, CHRISTIAN AND STONE COUNTTY, IS A SUPPORTER OF THE PROGRAM.
WASSON SAYS THOSE DRUGS ARE THE BEST ONE'S AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW FOR MODIFYING THE DISEASE.
AND WASSON KNOW FIRST HAND HOW MUCH BETTER OFF MS VICTIMS COULD BE WITH THESE NEW DRUGS.
WASSON ALSO BELIEVES THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THE BILL WILL PASS BY THE END OF THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL MUTLIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY, THERE ARE OVER 400,000 AMERICANS WITH MS AND ANOTHER 200 HUNDRED NEW CASES DIAGNOSED EACH WEEK.
