A Second Drug is Approved to Treat ALS

The FDA has approved a second drug to treat amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a progressive, debilitating, neurodegenerative disease that is usually fatal within 3-5 years. The new drug, called Radicava, slows the progression of the disease somewhat after six months of use; apparently that was enough for the FDA to approve the drug.

Before you get too excited, though, here are some facts about the new drug; 1) It must be given intravenously. That means that the patient must have a permanent IV port installed, which poses an infection risk. 2) The drug is only partially effective. Patients using the drug won't feel better; their health will just decline less rapidly. 3) It's expensive - $146,000 a year, according to its manufacturer.

The first drug to treat ALS, called riluzole, costs only about a tenth as much as Radicava.  Riluzole extends the life of ALS patients by 2 or 3 months; whether Radicava does the same isn't yet known.

If you had a fatal disease and were expected to live only 5 more years, would you pay $146,000 per year to slow the rate of disease progression just a little, or to live an extra 2-3 months? That's a judgment call only you can make. But your insurance company might balk at the price of this drug, considering its minimal effectiveness.