£12,000 jab for worst form of asthma will be a ‘beacon of hope’ for sufferers

AROUND 100,000 people suffering from the worst form of asthma will be given access to a £12,000 treatment that promises the chance of a more normal life.

Health chiefs have said the NHS will pay for injections of Benralizumab for those who cannot be helped by traditional inhalers or steroids.

Patients’ groups said it offered a “beacon of hope” to people suffering from severe eosinophilic asthma, around 1.3 per cent of the 5.4 million living with all forms of eosinophilic asthma, which can be life threatening.

Benralizumab is given as an injection every four weeks for the first three doses and every eight weeks following.

Produced by Medlmmune, a subsidiary of Astrazeneca, the drug costs £1,955 per injection. However, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, which decides what medications and treatments must be provided on the NHS, said it had secured Benralizumab for a confidential price.

Kay Boycott, the chief executive of Asthma UK, said: “This new drug offers a beacon of hope to thousands of people in the UK. This debilitating form of asthma is resistant to regular treatments such as inhalers and steroids, meaning many people are left dealing with terrifying asthma symptoms such as gasping for breath, or repeated trips to A&E. This drug has the potential to transform the quality of lives of many.

“NHS England now must ensure this treatment become readily available to those who need it.”

Research published in May showed Britain’s asthma death rate is now among the worst in Europe, with a 20per cent rise in the past five years.