Posted by Michael Wonder on 08 May 2017
The first ALS drug in 22 years is approved -- and it costs 4 times what it does in Japan
5 May 2017 - For the first time in 22 years, the FDA approved a new drug to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a disorder in which patients lose the ability to move, and eventually, to breathe.
The new medicine, called Radicava (generic name: edaravone), was developed and will be sold by MT Pharma America, a Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharmaceuticals, a Japanese pharmaceutical firm. It is given intravenously on a daily or near-daily basis for 14 days, followed by 14 days off the drug.
A year's course of the medicine will cost about $145,000 before discounts to governments or insurance companies are included.
