Givinostat, treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, approved for NHS use in England
8 May 2026
Givinostat (Duvyzat) has been approved for routine, permanent NHS use in England for eligible people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, replacing access that was previously limited to certain centres. The treatment has been shown to help slow the progression of the condition.
Givinostat was approved in Scotland in December 2025, so the announcement today marks a clear move towards permanent, routine access right across the UK.
Decisions about which treatments are available on the NHS are made separately across the UK. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes decisions for England, which are usually followed in Wales and Northern Ireland. Decisions for Scotland are made by the Scottish Medicine Consortium (SMC).
This progress would not have been possible without the Duchenne community working together. Throughout the assessment process for the treatment, we worked closely with the charities Duchenne UK and Action Duchenne, alongside families affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, to ensure that lived experience and family priorities were at the heart of decision‑making.
Who can access givinostat?
Givinostat has been approved for boys and young men aged six and over with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who are still able to walk (ambulant) at the point they start treatment. If someone loses the ability to walk (becomes non‑ambulant) while on treatment, they will still be able to continue receiving it.
Givinostat is not currently available for people who are already non‑ambulant when starting treatment. This is because there is limited evidence on how well the treatment works in this group at this stage.
The company that makes givinostat, ITF Pharma UK, is continuing to collect evidence and hopes to expand access in the future if the evidence supports it.
What does this decision mean for families?
Some boys and young men with DMD have been able to receive givinostat through an Expanded Access Programme (EAP). Through the EAP ITF Pharma UK has supplied the treatment to the NHS free of charge.
However, not all centres have been able to take part. The EAP does not fund the staff time or resources needed to deliver the treatment safely, meaning many centres – and the families that they serve – had to wait for a final NICE decision.
Now that givinostat has been approved, those centres can begin offering the treatment to eligible families through the NHS. This means more families will have the opportunity to discuss givinostat with their clinical team and consider whether it could be right for them.
For families already receiving givinostat through the EAP, access to the treatment will continue.
“We’re really pleased to see this decision, which means families across England can access givinostat through the NHS, no matter where they live. When it comes to conditions like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, there is no time to waste. While not a cure, givinostat has the potential to slow progression, helping families hold on to more of the everyday moments that matter and improving quality of life.
This is a significant moment for people living with Duchenne and reflects the determination of the community, whose voices helped drive this progress. But there is still more to do, and we will keep campaigning to ensure everyone can access the treatments they need.”
These outcomes reflect years of hard work by people living with these conditions, their families, clinicians and charities, including us, to ensure that the realities of living with rare, progressive conditions are properly understood within the decision‑making process.
As new treatments continue to be developed and assessed, we remain focused on one thing: making sure people can access effective treatments without years of delay or uncertainty.
