Thousands of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in England are to be offered a new ‘signal booster’ therapy on the NHS to help them walk more easily and live more independently. Fampridine is the first medicine designed to improve walking in adults with MS and will now be routinely available on the NHS.
Taken as a pill twice a day, fampridine acts like a ‘signal booster’ for nerves damaged by MS, helping electrical messages travel more effectively to the muscles. For some patients, an improvement in walking could make everyday tasks easier, from moving around the house and getting out independently to spending more time with family and friends.
MS is a lifelong neurological condition caused by damage to nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms vary but can include weakness, fatigue, loss of sensation, problems with balance and coordination, and difficulty walking.
Until now, support for MS-related walking difficulties has largely involved physiotherapy and exercises, walking aids, devices to support the feet and treatments to manage muscle stiffness. Clinical trials found fampridine (Fampyra) improved walking speed in 43% of patients and also helped people walk for longer.
Patients will initially try the medicine for 2 to 4 weeks, with their walking assessed before and after treatment – with those who experience a clear benefit continuing to take it for as long as it keeps working, with regular reviews taking place. It is estimated that around 5,000 people living with MS will be eligible in England in the first year.
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.”
Professor James Palmer, National Medical Director for Specialised Services at NHS England, said: “For people with MS who have spent years relying on physiotherapy, walking aids or help from others, having access to a one-of-a-kind treatment specifically for walking difficulties offers real hope of greater independence.
“Thousands of patients will now be able to try fampridine on the NHS, with treatment continuing where it makes a clear difference to their mobility and daily lives.”