It’s a condition that’s thought to affect 190,000 Brits every day, but chronic migraines could soon be treated with a ‘life-changing’ drug.
The drug, called fremanezumab, has been shown to prevent chronic migraines in adults where at least three previous treatments have failed.
According to NICE, this could open the way for up to 10,000 people to receive it on the NHS in England.
Meindert Boysen, director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at NICE, said: “Chronic migraines are extremely debilitating and can significantly affect a person’s quality of life.
“We are pleased that the company has been able to work with us to address the concerns highlighted in the previous draft guidance so that we are now able to recommend fremanezumab as an option for people with chronic migraine when several other medications have failed.”
The drug works by targeting the process by which proteins cause blood vessels in the brain to swell, leading to severe headaches .
And best of all, the drug can be self-injected just once a month, reducing the need for regular visits to the doctor.
Several other migraine treatments are currently available on the NHS, including botulinum toxin type A, antidepressants and beta-blockers.
However, many of these drugs have significant side effects, and don’t work for some people.
The news has been welcomed by The Migraine Trust, which describes the drug as ‘life-changing.’
Video Loading
Video Unavailable
Gus Baldwin, Chief Executive at The Migraine Trust, said: “We are delighted that for the first time chronic migraine patients across England and Wales will be able to access an effective drug on the NHS that has been specifically designed to prevent migraine attacks.
“Migraine is a painful, debilitating and exhausting brain disease and it is vital that people living with this awful condition have access to the best treatments available.
“We are particularly pleased that the patient evidence we submitted to NICE was referenced as a supporting factor in the approval granted today.
“We would like to thank NICE for listening to the voices of chronic migraine patients, who have been united in their call to be allowed access to this drug on the NHS. Many people we spoke to told us this drug had been ‘life-changing’ for them.”
No comments:
Post a Comment