NHS England makes Fampridine available for MS walking
England’s NHS will start prescribing fampridine, the first MS drug shown to improve walking, to about 5,000 people in the first year, offering a twice-daily pill that acts as a nerve signal booster to help patients walk faster and further. The treatment, previously unavailable on the NHS in England but funded in other parts of the UK, will involve short trials to assess benefit and determine continued use.
Health · 7 sources · Jul 23, 2026Read itThe journal
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About dalfampridine
4-Aminopyridine is an organic compound with the chemical formula H2NC5H4N. It is one of the three isomeric aminopyridines. It is used as a research tool in characterizing subtypes of the potassium channel. It has also been used as a drug, to manage some of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, and is indicated for symptomatic improvement of walking in adults with several variations of the disease. It was undergoing Phase III clinical trials as of 2008, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the compound on January 22, 2010. 4-AP has been used as treatment for KCNA2-related disorders with gene mutations that show a clear gain-of-function. Benefits include decreased seizures and improved ataxia, alertness, and cognition. Fampridine is also marketed as Ampyra in the United States by Acorda Therapeutics and as Fampyra in the European Union, Canada, and Australia. In Canada, the medication has been approved for use by Health Canada since February 10, 2012.
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