A guide to treating gait impairment with prolonged-release fampridine (Fampyra®) in patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Introduction: Gait impairment, a frequent sign in multiple sclerosis (MS), places a major burden on patients since it results in progressive loss of personal and social autonomy, along with work productivity. This guide aims to provide recommendations on how to evaluate gait impairment and use prolonged-release fampridine (PR-fampridine) as treatment for MS patients with gait impairment in Spain.

Development: PR-fampridine dosed at 10mg every 12hours is currently the only drug approved to treat gait impairment in adults with MS. Additionally, PR-fampridine has been shown in clinical practice to significantly improve quality of life (QoL) in patients who respond to treatment. Treatment response can be assessed with the Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW) or the 12-item MS Walking Scale (MSWS-12); tests should be completed before and after starting treatment. The minimum time recommended for evaluating treatment response is 2 weeks after treatment onset. Patients are considered responders and permitted to continue the treatment when they demonstrate a decrease in their T25FW time or an increase in MSWS-12 scores. A re-evaluation is recommended at least every 6 months. The SF-36 (Short Form-36) and the MSIS-29 (MS Impact Scale-29) tests are recommended for clinicians interested in performing a detailed QoL assessment. This drug is generally well-tolerated and has a good safety profile. It should be taken on an empty stomach and renal function must be monitored regularly.

Conclusions: These recommendations will help ensure safer and more efficient prescription practices and easier management of PR-fampridine as treatment for gait impairment in Spanish adults with MS.

Keywords: Calidad de vida; Esclerosis múltiple; Fampridina; Fampridine; Gait impairment; MSWS-12; Marcha; Multiple sclerosis; Quality of life; T25FW; The 12-item multiple sclerosis walking scale; Timed 25-Foot Walk Test.