Recent study showed that fampridine, developed by Acorda Therapeutics Inc (ACOR. O) can help people with multiple sclerosis by improving their walk.

Research team led by Dr. Andrew Goodman of the University of Rochester Medical Center in New studied data collected from 301 U. S. and Canadian adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). In the beginning of the study, the time, patients took to walk distance of 25 feet was noted. Then the patients took a placebo pill for a week. After it, they took either fampridine or a placebo twice daily for 14 weeks. During last month of the study they neither took fampridine nor the placebo.

Data analysis showed that 25% of the fampridine patients improved their walking speed as compared to 5% of patients taking the placebo.

Dr. Ron Cohen, president and CEO of Acorda Therapeutics said: "This trial included both physician and patient assessment scales that demonstrated both improvement in walking speed and clinical meaningfulness of that improvement."

"The results of this study indicate that fampridine-SR could potentially represent an important new treatment option in managing MS."