LDN Research Trust Suggests LDN For MS

LDN Research Trust has said that the lives of 100,000 multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers in the UK could be greatly improved while saving the National Health Service (NHS) GBP300m a year, ahead of the first international Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) awareness week which takes place from October 19-25, 2009.

Reportedly, LDN is already available on the NHS but not all general practioners are prepared to prescribe it to treat MS. Naltrexone has been approved by the FDA for treating alcoholism and drug addiction. LDN uses around 1% of that dose to treat MS. Research done by the LDN Research Trust suggested the NHS could save GBP300m a year by prescribing LDN. The figure takes into account medication, professional care and disability aids.

Linda Elsegood, founder of LDN Research Trust, said: “Naltrexone is a generic drug that is out of patent, so very cheap to produce. The downside of that is drug companies will not fund trials as there is no money in it for them. LDN can treat the crippling effects of MS without side effects and at a fraction of the cost of existing treatments. An annual prescription can cost just GBP180, while the interferon drugs currently favoured by the NHS cost GBP10,000. The interferon drugs are only offered to a small selection of people with relapsing and remitting MS. Nothing is offered to people with Secondary Progressive or Primary Progressive. LDN could help with MS whatever type you have.

“We believe that the annual savings could be much higher – nearer GBP1b. Clinical trials would cost just GBP2m and could benefit MS sufferers, their families and the NHS. Accurate MS data is unfortunately hard to come by, but you can’t put a price on the thousands of lives that have been transformed by LDN. We urge the Government to fund these trials for people not only with MS but also Crohn’s, cancer and other diseases.”