Thousands of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in England are set to benefit from a new twice-daily pill that significantly improves walking ability, which is now being rolled out on the NHS.
Hailed as "life-changing," fampridine marks a significant advancement as the first drug specifically designed to address walking difficulties associated with the incurable autoimmune disease.
MS, which affects the brain and spinal cord, can manifest through a range of debilitating symptoms including tiredness, dizziness, tingling sensations, muscle cramps, vision problems, and memory issues.
Until now, patients struggling with mobility have primarily relied on physiotherapy, walking aids, or supportive devices for their feet.
The drug, also known as Fampyra, functions by acting as a signal booster within the nervous system.
It works to restore electrical signals along damaged nerves, thereby enabling muscles to function more effectively and improving overall mobility for patients.
Professor Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, said: “Walking difficulties can have a huge impact on the freedom and independence of people with MS, so this signal-boosting pill could be life-changing for thousands of patients.
“Fampridine helps electrical messages travel along nerves damaged by MS, giving people the chance to walk more easily and helping them be more mobile to do more of the everyday things that matter to them.
“For some, even a modest improvement could mean getting around the house more easily, going out with greater confidence and living more independently.”
Officials estimate that around 5,000 people with MS will be eligible for the drug in the first year.
It is recommended for MS patients with certain Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores.
The EDSS is a tool used by medics to monitor disability caused by MS.
Those with a score of between four – able to walk without an aid or rest for around 500 metres – and seven, which include patients who use wheelchairs or are unable to walk further than five metres, will be offered fampridine.
Patients will try the drug for two to four weeks, with walking ability assessed before and after treatment.
Those who show progress will continue to take the medicine and will be reviewed regularly.
Fampridine trials found the drug improved walking speed in 43 per cent of patients and helped people walk for longer.
Aysen Slack, 65, from Eastbourne, previously paid for fampridine privately, but stopped due to costs.
She said: “Fampridine seemed to be working well for me, but paying for the medication was a significant expense and I could not keep doing that forever. So I had to make the difficult decision to stop taking it.
“I would definitely like to try fampridine again on the NHS. My mobility has decreased a lot and even in my flat I have to use sticks now. It would make a huge difference to my life if I were able to improve my walking.”
Ceri Smith, head of policy and evidence at the MS Society, said: “We’re delighted that fampridine has now been approved for use on the NHS.
“Over 120,000 people live with MS in England and Fampridine is the only licensed treatment that helps improve walking ability and speed for some of these people.
“For many of them, it’s life-changing, allowing them to live more independently or stay in employment.
“It’s vital that MS services now have the support they need to make fampridine available to all people with MS who could benefit from it, regardless of where in England they live.”
