Province to pay for new ALS drug that slows progress of disease
VICTORIA B.C. has approved funding for a drug that can significantly slow the physical decline associated with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province will cover the cost of edaravone, which goes by the brand name Radicava, starting Aug. 19. An estimated 66 to 183 people in B.C. with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, will benefit from the coverage, he said.
“It’s great news (for) people with ALS, who typically become unable to move, speak, swallow and breathe,” said Dix. “This drug is not curative, but provides relief and support. And of course it’s very expensive, but we’re proud of our team and the team across Canada in meeting both the need for cost but also the need for this drug.”
B.C. was part of a group of provinces that had been negotiating with manufacturer Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma for the drug since September 2019. The list price is $120,000 a year, but the provinces obtained an unspecified lower price from the manufacturer, said Dix.
“For people suffering from ALS, the hope offered by Radicava is I think it has shown the ability to slow the worsening of the disease,” said Dix. “And for people in that patient population, that was unbelievably important.”
There are approximately 400 people in B.C. with ALS, which is a neurodegenerative disease. A few have been able to afford to pay $120,000 a year for the drug and attempted to import it from Japan, while others have simply been unable to afford it, said Wendy Toyer, executive director of the ALS Society of B.C.
“It’s the first new medication approved in Canada for ALS patients in over 20 years,” said Toyer. “So that’s very encouraging. We obviously want to make sure people have access to it. The challenge is it’s very expensive. So by the province announcing they are going to list it with B.C. medical, that is going to be very good for everybody.”
B.C. is joined by seven other provinces in covering the drug. In June, B.C. also donated $1 million to the ALS Centre of Excellence to ensure clinical trials on future drugs can be accessed by people in B.C.
“This is a huge positive step forward the province is making,” said Toyer.
“We’re just extremely grateful to the province for its support.”