Latest news with #SarcoidosisUK
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Oxford patients with sarcoidosis in lungs given new drug
The first new drug approved for 50 years to treat a rare condition that creates swollen tissue on the lungs has been administered to Hunter became the first person with pulmonary sarcoidosis to receive infliximab as part of her treatment for the condition at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Infliximab is currently used to treat inflammatory conditions, such as Crohn's disease, and has now been commissioned by the NHS for use in pulmonary condition causes granulomas - lumps made up of clusters of cells involved in inflammation - to develop in organs, and most commonly affects the lungs. Sarcoidosis can affect people of all ages and can be particularly severe in some cases - with patients often requiring multiple immunosuppressants to treat the affects about 1 in 10,000 people in the UK, according the charity Sarcoidosis well as the lungs it can also affect the skin, eyes, joints, nervous system, heart and other parts of the of pulmonary sarcoidosis include shortness of breath and a persistent dry cough, according to the NHS. Infliximab reduces the need for patients to rely on immunosuppressants - which can increase the risk of infections and further complications - by targeting a protein produced by overactive immune Hunter said she was "excited about the possibility of reducing the number of medications I need"."I have been on various immunosuppressants for a long time, and the side effects have started to surface," she said."The commissioning of this drug is very welcome news."Prof Ling-Pei Ho, who is a consultant in respiratory medicine at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH), was involved in the work that led to the drug's commissioning."We are very pleased to be able to offer a new medicine for our patients with severe lung sarcoidosis," she medical officer at OUH Prof Andrew Brent said that the new drug was "fantastic news" for patients."The commissioning of this drug is a great example of our teams' dedication to continually improving patient care," he added. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
23-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
London Marathon runner needed a walking stick eight months ago
A running enthusiast who was left walking with a stick just eight months ago, due to rare disease, is set to take part in the London Paz, from Sherborne in Dorset, was diagnosed with sarcoidosis after years of burning and stabbing pains, numbness and pins and year the pain and loss of sensation became so severe the BBC South News manager thought she would never walk again. But she said since starting a "wonder drug" treatment, she has seen a rapid Mrs Paz is planning to run the London Marathon in support of the charity Sarcoidosis UK, to "help find a cure for the next generation". Mrs Paz survived a heart attack at the age of 40, in 2019, which was brought on by her mother-of-two had been living with other symptoms for many years, including recurring left-sided paralysis and chronic fatigue. At times she said her nerve pain, known as small fibre neuropathy and also caused by sarcoidosis, was "like a million bluebottles under my skin trying to get out"."I was told by several medical professionals it was caused by stress and it was in my head," she last summer Mrs Paz started needing to use a walking stick."I remember breaking down in front of my family on holiday – thinking I wouldn't be able to walk again."But since being treated with infliximab, which is a common treatment for Crohn's Disease and rheumatoid arthritis, she said she had been "brought back from the brink"."The pain hasn't completely gone away but I genuinely think I would be in a wheelchair if I hadn't had it," she continued."I might have had to give up work." Mrs Paz twice ran the London Marathon in her 20s, in 2005 and 2006, and completed a virtual London Marathon in 2023 as a remote runner in her home town. She said the training for this year's event, which she began in October, had been "going really well"."I'm very nervous, which is good because it means I care and I'm psyching myself up for it," she said."With this illness you never know what you're going to wake up to. "That's the biggest issue – you never know what sort of day you're going to have. Some days you feel okay and other days you feel absolutely awful."It's really, really hard... but I refuse to give up." Mrs Paz continued: "I've lost the ability to dance, which is the most gutting of all. I've lost the coordination for it. Running in a straight line is easier. "With dancing, I can hear the music, I can feel the rhythm, but my brain can't get my limbs to react quickly enough."I'm hoping that will come back but running seems to be an easier option."As well as fundraising for Sarcoidosis UK, Mr Paz is running for Bowel Cancer UK. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
