Fampridine helps mobility
Fampridine helps mobility
Fampridine helps mobility. It can help people with MS who have mobility problems and allows them to walk more quickly and safely. It is now available in England on prescription but it must be prescribed by an MS consultant. It has been available through the NHS in Wales since 2019.
Fampridine is the generic or chemical name of the active medicine. Fampyra is the brand name given to it by the pharmaceutical company that sells it.
Licensing and availability
Fampridine was first approved in the United States in 2010 and in Europe in 2011. In the UK the approval is a tortured story. Wales approved it in 2019 then 2020 in Scotland. Northern Ireland approved it in 2023 and finally in England on July 23, 2026. Devolved health nations use separate decision-making bodies that judged the drug’s cost-effectiveness and pricing differently. A bit of a dog’s dinner!
This is good news but …
People in England could only get Fampridine privately until July 2026 when the NHS authorised it. At this moment I do not know the hoops people will need to jump through to obtain a prescription. Will people with MS still resort to buying it privately? The drug does not help everyone who is eligible for it. Basically your EDSS score needs to be between 4 and 7. Also after taking the drug for 4 weeks the time taken to complete a timed 25 foot walk (T25FW) needs to be about 30% quicker.
My Fampridine story
I attend the UCLH walking and mobility clinic in Queen Sq. London. In 2017 the clinic asked me if I wanted to try a drug called Fampradine. It could make my walking faster and safer. I had been fitted with a Functional Electrical Stimulator (FES) in 2014 to reduce drop foot and that was a big success.
Nonetheless I was starting to suffer from clumsiness and I was falling more frequently because I could not walk unaided. I used a 4 wheeled walker at home and a Travelscoot mobility scooter outside.
There was a significant increase in my walking speed after taking Fampridine. I have been taking it ever since, 2 pills a day, one at 11.00 am and the second one at 11 pm. Over the last few months my MS has deteriorated significantly, and walking is now not easy especially in the hot summer. In the garden and evenings evening I use my wheelchair.
It is still making a significant difference to my drop leg and drop foot. Without it I would be a full-time wheelchair user.
Click HERE to read another lived experience story of taking Fampridine.
Fampridine drug holiday
Soon I will go one week without taking an Fampradine, the body washes it out within a couple of days. The time taken to do the T25FW when taking fampridine is about 28 seconds. I honestly do not know how long it will take after my drug holiday in August. I will let you know the time as well as the outcome.
Conclusion
Fampridine has significantly improved my quality pf life.It allowed me to walk more quickly and reduced my risk of falling over. In the past couple of years my MS has significantly deteriorated and the effectiveness of Fampridine is definitely less than when I started. I am sure this is due to the damage done to my central nervous system by multiple sclerosis. Eventually it will be to be completely ineffective and no longer be available to me.
July 2026
Associated stories
My MS has receded by a couple of years
My lived experience fromI first started Fampridine as a trial drug in 2017
Every morning I have to stretch my stiff muscles
I refer to stiff muscles when I started the Fampridine trial
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