Multiple sclerosis: First drug to help patients walk now on NHS in England
Aysen Slack, 65, from Eastbourne, chose to pay for the pills privately when she heard about them.
He said fampridine “worked well for me” but “caused significant expense and I couldn’t keep doing it forever” so he had to stop.
Slack said it was “great news” that the drug was coming to the NHS and that he “definitely wants to try it again”.
“My mobility has decreased greatly and now I have to use a cane even in my apartment,” he said. “If I could improve my walking, it would make a huge difference in my life.”
More than 120,000 people live with MS in the UK. However, depending on the extent of walking difficulties, only 5,000 people per year will be able to benefit from this assistance.
Patients will try the drug for up to a month, and only those who show “clear benefit” will be able to continue taking it.
NHS national medical director Prof Frankie Swords said: “Walking difficulties can have a huge impact on the freedom and independence of people with MS, so this signal-boosting pill could change the lives of thousands of patients.
“Even modest improvement can mean getting around the house more easily, going out with more confidence and living more independently.”
Ceri Smith, of the MS Society, said they were “delighted” by the news as the drug could be “life-changing” for many people and could allow people to “live more independently or keep their jobs”.
