BRIEF—Dysport approved in the UK in European milestone

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the use of Dysport (clostridium botulinum type A toxin-haemagglutinin complex) for the symptomatic treatment of focal spasticity of upper limbs in pediatric cerebral palsy patients, two years of age and older.

Dysport, from French drugmaker Ipsen, becomes the first botulinum toxin to be approved in pediatric upper limb spasticity in Europe in more than a decade.

It is also the first and only botulinum toxin in the UK to be approved for the treatment of pediatric spasticity in both upper and lower limbs.

Alison Smith, a UK consultant pediatric neuro-physiotherapist, said: “Having a therapeutic option approved for both upper and lower limb indications creates a real benefit for the patient as it allows a holistic treatment approach for any patients with multi-focal spasticity.”