'It's life changing' - South Tyneside breathes more easily with first use of NHS drug
It is given through an injection in the stomach or thigh every two weeks.
Patients at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT) are the first in the region to benefit from a drug which replaces the need for surgery to help them breathe better.
It is also one of a handful nationally now using Dupilumab, a drug which helps those with nasal polyps, which are painless soft growths inside the nose. They are not usually serious, but can keep growing back and block the nose if untreated.
Symptoms include a blocked or runny nose, a feeling that mucus is slowly dripping down the back of the throat (known as postnasal drip), a reduced sense of smell or taste and snoring.
Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps is a long-lasting inflammation of the nasal passages and sinus cavities. It affects 6% of adults requiring around 40,000 operations in England and Wales, with 75,000 outpatient visits each year.
The drug works by blocking specific proteins in the immune system that cause swelling and tissue irritation in the nose and sinuses.
Tom Bradish is a consultant in the trust’s Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) team and has carried out the treatment. It is given through an injection in the stomach or thigh every two weeks.
He said: “We are using Dupilumab to help our patients who have a condition called severe chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps. This can cause them a lot of discomfort and they often need to have surgery many times during their life.
“This drug works by blocking signals which cause inflammation. It means they see a big reduction in their symptoms and the need for surgery.
“This treatment has come about thanks to a team effort. Members of our pharmacy, medical team, nurses and managers have pulled all the stops.
“All this hard work means we now have a way to help treat these patients in a new way, without the need for surgery. It is a great success that we became the first in the UK to start a patient on this treatment.”
Andrew Flanagan, 63, is the first patient to be treated by the ENT team. He has had nasal polyps all his life and undergone more than 10 operations to treat them.
Andrew said: “I would say it’s life changing, it’s cleared my congestion and I feel much better.”