Life-changing MS drug to help people walk now on NHS in England

The first drug to help people with multiple sclerosis walk is being made available on the NHS in England.

Fampridine boosts nerve signals to make it easier for some people to move and live independently.

Aysen Slack, who used to pay for fampridine privately until it became too costly, said the decision would make a "huge difference".

Up to 5,000 people in England could benefit each year. The drug is already available elsewhere in the UK.

Multiple sclerosis is caused by the immune system attacking the protective covering around nerve cells - known as myelin.

This damage impairs the ability of nerves to carry electrical messages from the brain to the rest of the body - including those needed for the precise control of muscles needed to walk.

Fampridine is known as a "signal booster" as it helps those electrical messages still get through.

Clinical trials showed around four in 10 people taking the drug had improvements in their walking speed and in how long they could walk for.

This could be the difference between getting around the house or needing help at home or enabling people to go out and see friends and family.

Current NHS support includes physiotherapy and walking aids.

The drug has previously been rejected for use by the NHS in England as it was not considered value for money, although it did become available in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Aysen Slack, 65 and from Eastbourne, chose to pay privately for the pills once she heard about them.

She said fampridine was "working well for me" but came at a "significant expense and I could not keep doing that forever" so she had to stop.

Slack said it was "great news" the drug was coming to the NHS and she "would definitely like to try" again.

"My mobility has decreased a lot and even in my flat I have to use sticks now," she said, "it would make a huge difference to my life if I were able to improve my walking."

More than 120,000 people live with MS in England. However, only around 5,000 people a year will be eligible - based on the extent of their walking difficulties.

Patients will try the medicine for up to a month and only those showing "clear benefit" will be able to continue taking it.

Prof Frankie Swords, the 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.

"Even a modest improvement could mean getting around the house more easily, going out with greater confidence and living more independently."

Ceri Smith, from the MS Society, said they were "delighted" by the news as the drug could be "life-changing" for many, allowing people to "live more independently or stay in employment".