Thousands of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in England will be offered fampridine on the NHS to help them walk more easily and live more independently.
The twice-daily pill is the first medicine designed specifically to improve walking in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS).
NHS England said the treatment will now be routinely available.
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.”
Fampridine, also sold under the brand name Fampyra, acts as a “signal booster” for nerves damaged by MS, helping electrical messages travel more effectively to the muscles.
Clinical trials found that the treatment improved walking speed in 43 per cent of patients and also helped people walk for longer.
MS is a lifelong neurological condition caused by damage to nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms can include weakness, fatigue, loss of sensation, balance and coordination problems, and difficulty walking.
Until now, support for walking difficulties caused by MS has largely involved physiotherapy and exercises, walking aids, devices that support the feet and treatments for muscle stiffness.
Patients will initially take the medicine for between two and four weeks, with their walking assessed before and after treatment.
Those who experience a clear benefit will be able to continue taking it for as long as it remains effective, subject to regular reviews.
NHS England estimates that about 5,000 people living with MS will be eligible in England during the first year.
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.”
The medicine will be available to adults with any type of MS whose walking difficulties are assessed as having an Expanded Disability Status Scale score of between four and seven.
The scale measures disability linked to MS. A score of four means a person can walk about 500 metres without an aid or rest, while a score of seven means they cannot walk more than five metres and are largely restricted to a wheelchair.
The rollout follows a rigorous assessment by NHS England’s Clinical Priorities Advisory Group, which reviews specialist medicines, devices and treatments based on their benefits for patients and value for money.
The decision brings access in England into line with other UK nations.
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.”
The Clinical Priorities Advisory Group considers drugs and treatments that are not being assessed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, including treatments that are not licensed for the clinical use in question.
