\n<\/p>\n
Aysen Slack, 65 and from Eastbourne, chose to pay privately for the pills once she heard about them. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Slack said it was “great news” the drug was coming to the NHS and she “would definitely like to try” again. <\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Patients will try the medicine for up to a month and only those showing “clear benefit” will be able to continue taking it. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“Even a modest improvement could mean getting around the house more easily, going out with greater confidence and living more independently.”<\/p>\n
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”. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n