Ms Priamo had been told in March her therapy had been halted

Wrexham AM Dr John Marek raised the case of local patient Alison Priamo.

The 22-year-old was told her disease modifying therapies (DMTs) in Liverpool would stop due to funding restrictions but she is now receiving them again.

Health Commission Wales said �2.5m was spent this year but rising demand meant extra cases could not be funded.

The Forward Wales AM said the current situation meant patients in north Wales suffering from Relapsing Remitting MS were being discriminated against.

Ms Priamo, who was diagnosed a year ago, was told earlier this year that a drug which had been successful for her would be withdrawn because funding was unavailable.

If the drugs are proven to work then there is no excuse MS patient Alison Priamo

Dr Marek said the decision to stop her drugs was later reversed after he complained to assembly health minister Dr Brian Gibbons.

But the therapies will no longer be available to any new patients from Wales and Dr Marek has called for government action.

He said: "The position now is that new patients living in Wrexham and north Wales who require disease modifying therapies (DMTs) for MS and are under the care of the nearest specialists in Liverpool cannot be offered the same therapies because of Welsh assembly government funding restrictions."

He added: "If treatments are available and work then there should be no further delay in making them available to patients who need them today."

Ms Priamo, a student teacher on a gap year from Leeds Metropolitan University, said: "Whilst I'm pleased that I have been able to continue my treatment, I believe that it is less than satisfactory that other people with the same condition cannot receive the same therapies.

"If the drugs are proven to work then there is no excuse."

She added: "The relapse rate of patients in receipt of DMTs is proven to be significantly reduced yet the lack of funding means patients are at risk of further relapses that can be prevented."

Dr John Marek has called for the drugs to be made available

Health Commission Wales is the agency responsible for commissioning specialised health services on behalf of the assembly government.

It said during 2005/6 it had invested �2.5m in DMTs and the care of patients using the drugs.

A spokesperson said: "It is important to note that the current level of funding is significantly greater than the original allocation of �1.7m, which was made available to commissioners in 2002.

"This reflects a growing demand...across all three Welsh centres." In the absence of additional funding, it had been agreed by commissioning advisors that the HCW "should not take on new cases over and beyond the current level of funding".

She added: "In the interim HCW will commit to maintain the current provision of service to existing patients in Wales for the remainder of 2006/7."