Fampridine to be routinely available on NHS in England for MS walking difficulties
- Jul 24
- 1 min read
Adults with multiple sclerosis who have walking difficulties may now be able to access fampridine routinely on the NHS in England.
NHS England has announced that fampridine will be available for eligible adults with multiple sclerosis and associated walking impairment.
Fampridine is the first medicine designed to improve walking in adults with MS. NHS England described it as working like a signal booster, helping electrical messages travel along nerves damaged by MS.
Walking difficulties can affect independence, daily activity and employment for some people living with MS. Until now, support for MS-related walking difficulty has largely included physiotherapy, walking aids, foot support devices and treatments to manage muscle stiffness.
NHS England said clinical trials found that fampridine improved walking speed in 43% of patients, with walking speed increasing by around 25%. The treatment also helped some people walk for longer.
Eligible patients will initially be able to try fampridine for two to four weeks. Those who show a clear improvement in walking ability compared with before treatment may continue taking it, with regular reviews, for as long as it continues to help.
The medicine is taken as a tablet twice a day. NHS England estimates that around 5,000 patients in England could be eligible in the first year.
The decision follows NHS England’s Clinical Priorities Advisory Group recommendation that prolonged-release fampridine should be routinely commissioned for adults with MS and associated walking impairment within defined NHS criteria.