A second drug is approved to treat A.L.S.
Dr. Neil A. Shneider, director of the ALS Eleanor Center and Lou Gehrig of the University of Columbia Medical Center, said, "The effect is modest but important.
Continue reading the main storyHe added: "I am very pleased, frankly, that there is a second approved drug for A.L.S."
Disease kills nerve cells that control voluntary muscles, so that patients gradually weaken and become paralyzed. Most die within three to five years, usually from respiratory insufficiency. About 12,000 to 15,000 people in the US have A.L.S, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Shneider predicted that patients would be eager to try the new drug. He said that many of his patients were already receiving it because they had obtained it themselves from Japan. If more wants it, he will prescribe it, he said.
"This is very safe," he said.
But he did not know if he would recommend it, because the method of administration is difficult. Patients should have an intravenous line inserted and left in place indefinitely, posing a risk of infection. The first cycle of treatment requires one hour infusion every day for 14 days, followed by 14 days off. After that, the infusions are administered daily for 10 days over 14 days, with 14 days off.
"If it was a pill and was easily administered, I would be less reluctant to use it," said Dr. Shneider said.
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He added that the drug will not make patients stronger or stronger. This does not improve the symptoms. It can slow down the decline, but it is not something that a patient will notice.
According to F.D.A., the most frequent adverse effects were bruising and gait disturbances. There may be other serious risks that require immediate care, such as hives, swelling or shortness of breath, and allergic reactions that may be life threatening to people sensitive to sulfite
MT Pharma America said it would provide co-payment assistance to patients with commercial insurance and another assistance to people who are uninsured or face delays in coverage. Those who qualify could even be treated free of charge.
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