Document is current

Article History

Received: 10 June 2025

Accepted: 19 November 2025

First Online: 23 December 2025

Declarations

:

: From a legal or regulatory point of view, there is no obligation in the UK to submit this type of survey to an ethics committee. The questionnaire of the survey was subject to review and approval by the UK Novartis ‘Ethics, Risks & Compliance’ department. The Novartis ‘Ethics, Risks & Compliance’ departments of the UK approved the conduct of the survey in the respective countries. All the participated healthcare professionals provided written informed consent to participate in the survey, to the collection and processing of their personal data and to the following agreement: ‘Novartis is a member of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (“ABPI”) and is required to apply with the Code of Practice (“Code”), as amended from time to time. Whenever you write or speak in public about a matter that is the subject of this agreement or any other issue relating to Novartis, you shall disclose the following: (i) Novartis has retained you for professional services in relation to this study; and (ii) any other relationships that Novartis has with you which a reasonable and ethical person would expect to be disclosed. We would like to assure you that we also act in accordance with the ESOMAR, EphMRA, BHBIA and PBIRG/Insights Association codes of conduct regarding anonymity and confidentiality. By participating in the study, you acknowledge and accept that your participation is voluntary and is not based on an inducement to prescribe, supply, administer, recommend, buy or sell any Novartis medicine. You have the right to refuse to answer a question or completely withdraw from the research at any time.’ There was no inclusion of patient data at any point in time throughout the survey. Therefore, no written patient informed consent is required.

: Not applicable.

: SG has received honoraria from Biogen, Idec, Janssen, Merck, MS Academy, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme and Teva for speaker engagement and travel support. She has also received research support in the form of grants from Merck, NHS Digital, NIHR, Sanofi Genzyme, Takeda and the UK MS Society.PG has received research funding, speaker honoraria, travel and/or educational support from Sanofi Genzyme, Novartis, Biogen, Merck Serono, Bristol Myers Squibb and Roche Pharmaceuticals.TA has received honoraria or consulting fees for participating in advisory boards related to trial steering committees and data and safety monitoring committees, speaker fees & research grants Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Roche and Sanofi-Genzyme. She is partially funded by the NIHR SCPRA fellowship.NRK and JM are employees of Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd. MR was an employee of Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd during the study period.