First MS drug to help patients walk available on NHS in England
The first drug designed to help multiple sclerosis patients walk has been made available on the NHS in England, offering a new treatment option.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A drug that helps people with multiple sclerosis (MS) walk more easily has been made available on the NHS in England for the first time. The medicine, called fampridine, is a twice-daily pill that boosts nerve signals, helping the brain send electrical messages to muscles. It is the first treatment specifically designed to improve walking ability in people with MS, an incurable autoimmune disease that damages the nerves in the brain and spinal cord.
Clinical trials show that around four in ten people who take the drug see an improvement in their walking speed and distance. For those who respond, the effects can be life-changing. Some patients who were housebound have been able to get out and about, and others have been able to stay in work for longer. The drug does not work for everyone, and patients must undergo a trial period to see if it helps them.
Fampridine has been available on the NHS in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for several years. Campaigners have long pushed for it to be offered in England, calling the delay a postcode lottery. NHS England has now approved funding, and an estimated 5,000 people with MS in England are expected to be eligible in the first year. The drug is intended for people who have already experienced some disability but are not yet fully reliant on a wheelchair.
Patient stories highlight the potential impact. One man, Andy, who took part in a trial years ago, said the drug allowed him to keep mobile and avoid a wheelchair. He described it as a game changer. Another patient, Rachel, who has noticed her walking getting worse, said the news could not come soon enough. The MS Society, which campaigned for the change, welcomed the decision but stressed the need for proper monitoring and support services to deliver the drug effectively.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|
| An estimated 5,000 people with MS in England will benefit from the drug in the first year. | |||
| Fampridine has been available in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland for years, but not in England until now. | · | ||
| Fampridine is reported as the first drug to help MS patients walk by boosting nerve signals to improve mobility and independence. | · | ||
| The drug works by boosting nerve signals to make it easier to move. | · | ||
| About 40% of patients taking the drug improved their walking speed and distance. | · | · | |
| Fampridine is the only drug licensed to help people with MS with their walking. | · | · | |
| Not everyone responds to the drug. | · | · | |
| The drug is a twice-daily pill that boosts nerve signals. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This channel gave a very brief, headline-style summary of the announcement. It did not include any patient stories, clinical details, or commentary from experts. The tone was straightforward and factual, treating the story as one of several news items in a bulletin.
- “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.”
BBC One West provided a detailed, explanatory segment with a health correspondent. It focused on how the drug works as a signal booster, the clinical trial results (4 in 10 improve), and the practical difference it can make (housebound vs. getting out). The tone was informative and positive, highlighting the significance for patients and the fact it was already available in other UK nations.
- “It really is significant I mean because multiple sclerosis affects around a hundred and fifty thousand people in the UK”
- “It's the difference between for example Being housebound to be able to get out and about it could even help people stay in work for much longer”
- “It's going to help around five thousand people a year in England”
ITV1 framed the story around the postcode lottery and the long campaign by the MS Society. The interview with Kerry Smith emphasised the unfairness of the delay and raised concerns about devolution leading to unequal access to medicines. The tone was critical of the previous lack of access in England, while welcoming the decision as overdue.
- “We've called it life changing there. Yeah, absolutely.”
- “it's been highly unfair from our perspective that it's not been available to people living with MS in England”
- “we're really pleased that although it's long overdue that NHS England have finally revised their decision and approved funding for fampridine now.”
This channel used a longer package with a reporter and personal stories from two patients (Rachel and Andy). It included a visual demonstration of the drug's effect via research videos. The tone was humanising and hopeful, focusing on the real-world impact for individuals, while also noting that not everyone responds and that monitoring is required.
- “I've got more energy. I've my my walking's improved, but it's not just the walking”
- “I did expect to be in a wheelchair, you know, but I'm not the fan protein certainly has been a game changer for me”
- “it couldn't come soon enough then At this moment in time it couldn't know because I have really noticed I've really struggled probably with it I've really noticed a difference with my walking”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.