A NEW drug to manage Parkinson's has been approved for use in NHS Scotland.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has approved Lecigon for patient use when standard medications usually used to manage the day-to-day effects of the disease are unable to alleviate advanced symptoms.
The drug, which is already available in England and Wales, is administered through a wearable pump that delivers the medication straight to the intestine. Its use was previously rejected in Scotland.
Over 14,000 people in Scotland have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, with the disease predominantly affecting those in their 60s and 70s.
James Jopling, Director at Parkinson’s UK Scotland, said: “Most people with Parkinson’s manage their condition with standard medicines.
"But what works for one person may not be effective for someone else. Having access to the full range of treatments is essential.
"Lecigon will hopefully give healthcare professionals another tool in the box to manage challenging symptoms.
“Life with advanced Parkinson’s can be unbearably hard. With symptoms like uncontrolled movements, sudden ‘freezing’ and agonising cramps, people can become unable to leave their homes.
"If you can’t predict when your medication will enable you to speak or move, you can’t live your life to the full”.
Jopling has also raised concerns that the medication won’t be fully accessible to those who need it, saying: “Sadly we know from recent experience that SMC approved medicines can remain unavailable to people because of a lack of funding and staff in already overstretched Parkinson’s services.
"The last advanced Parkinson’s medicine was approved in Scotland over two years ago. But there are only a handful accessing it.
NHS Boards need to resource Parkinson’s teams properly so that they can deliver effective treatments to those that need them”.
Parkinson's currently has no cure, but several options are now available through the NHS to try to manage some of its symptoms.
