Fampyra® (fampridine) becomes first treatment funded by NHS Scotland to improve walking difficulties in adult patients with all types of multiple sclerosis (MS)

• Patients responding to fampridine reported significant improvement in their ability to walk and as a result manage daily tasks compared with best supportive care¹

Maidenhead, UK. – Monday 13^th April 2020 – Biogen Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) today announced that Fampyra® (fampridine) has been accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for use within NHS Scotland.  The SMC has approved its use for the improvement of walking in adult patients with multiple sclerosis with walking disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] 4 to 7). This advice applies only in circumstances where the approved NHS Scotland Patient Access Scheme (PAS) is utilised or where the list/contract price is equivalent or lower than the PAS price.¹

Fampridine is recommended for use in all subtypes of MS, including relapsing remitting MS (RRMS), secondary progressive MS (SPMS), primary progressive MS (PPMS), and progressive relapsing MS (PRMS) that have either very limited or no treatment options, depending on disease severity.²  Two out of every three patients with MS will develop a degree of disability and walking impairment.²

“Walking problems affect most people with MS and losing independence as a result of reduced mobility is one of their greatest fears,” said Dr. Simon Beck, Medical Director, Biogen UK & Ireland. “Fampridine is the only treatment shown to improve walking ability in people living with MS-related walking disability, so today’s SMC decision could make a real difference to those with mobility challenges in Scotland and their carers, many of whom have been funding their own treatment until now.”

Fampridine received a positive funding recommendation from the All Wales Medicine Strategy Group (AWMSG) in December 2019.³

Fampridine’s approval came as a result of an extensive clinical trial programme; a phase II study (MOBILE) and three phase III studies (MS-F203, MS-F204 and the ENHANCE clinical trial). All studies have shown that a higher proportion of patients treated with fampridine met the response criteria (using 25-foot walking test and/or MSWS-12 end-points) compared to those treated with best supportive care.^{4, 5, 6} Patients responding to fampridine noted substantial improvements in routine day-to-day functional activities including, for example, the ability to walk independently without the use of sticks or any other aid for a sufficiently long enough time to manage daily tasks, with further real-world data confirming the importance of such benefits.^{2, 4, 5,6} Fampridine is also a cost-effective medicine.

Ireland granted reimbursement of fampridine in September 2015 along with 12 other countries in Europe.