Fampridine recommended for use in England
We’re delighted to share that yesterday NHS England recommended fampridine for use in England. Fampridine is a drug that helps some people with MS with their walking.
In May we shared that the NHS was considering fampridine for use in England. This came after the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) decided not to recommend it in 2022.
Later this month the patent on the fampridine brand Fampyra runs out. This means other companies will be able to start selling cheaper versions of fampridine, called generics. A generic version of a drug is an identical version of the original brand name drug. We told NHS England it was vital they took this into account when they made their decision.
A big step towards equal access
NHS England’s decision is a big step towards equal access to fampridine for people with MS across the UK. Fampridine was approved for use in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland between 2019 and 2023. Even though it’s approved in these nations, we know that it’s not yet available to everyone. But we’re working with local health systems and staff to make sure this changes.
What is fampridine?
Fampridine is a treatment that can improve walking in adults with MS. It helps around four in 10 people who take it. When it works, fampridine speeds up walking by around 25%.
Fampridine is taken orally as a tablet. Most people are prescribed one tablet in the morning and one at night.
Who’s eligible to try fampridine?
Anyone with MS who has an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 4-7 is eligible for fampridine. Before prescribing fampridine, your health professional will also want to check that your kidneys work normally and that you’ve never had a seizure or epileptic fit.
Fampridine is only licensed to improve walking speed. This means it can only be prescribed long term for people whose walking speed improves, even if it helps with other symptoms such as fatigue.
Read more about who’s eligible for fampridine
How soon will I get to try fampridine in England?
We know from other UK countries that it can take some time to set up the services and monitoring for fampridine. So, there will likely be a wait. If you think you may be eligible for fampridine, you can speak to your MS team to find out more about their plans.
We’ll use what we’ve learned to help make sure that fampridine is made available as soon as possible. For example, by sharing a fampridine webinar for healthcare professionals working with people with MS. And calling on local health systems to support MS services to make fampridine available.
What we think
Ceri Smith, our Head of Policy and Evidence, says:
"We’re delighted that fampridine has finally been approved for use on the NHS in England and today’s announcement finally fixes a longstanding injustice. Over 120,000 people live with MS in England, and until now, many have been forced to pay privately for the drug or miss out altogether – despite fampridine being approved in the rest of the UK.
"Fampridine is the only licensed treatment that helps improve walking ability and speed for people with MS. For many, it’s lifechanging, 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.”
