Charity claims victory in Parkinson's drug campaign

A Parkinson's disease charity has moved to thank its supporters after a successful campaign to increase supply of the vital drug Sinemet.

People with the condition had been finding themselves increasingly having to endure the return of debilitating symptoms as supply of Sinemet began to dwindle.

In response, Parkinson's UK took these concerns to the drug's manufacturer MSD UK earlier this year.

The charity has now been informed that full public demand for the drug will be met by the end of 2010.

And while there are still some issues that MSD UK needs to work out, Parkinson's UK chief executive Steve Ford paid tribute to the support the campaign received.

"We've show that when we speak out together, as one collective voice, people will sit up and take notice of the concerns of people affected by Parkinson's," he said.

The charity estimates that more than 120,000 people in the UK are currently living with Parkinson's disease.