China approves edaravone for ALS
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Motor Neuron Disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a neurological disease that affects voluntary movement. There are few medicines indicated for ALS specifically and there is no cure for the disease yet. One of the medicines that is thought to slow the progression of ALS is edaravone (which has the brand name Radicut or Radicava).
A new treatment for ALS
Edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) is a medicine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA under the name Radicava, and by the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) in Japan under the name Radicut. Edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) is not approved in many countries, and therefore is not always available to ALS patients. Although it is not globally available, patients to whom it is not accessible can import this medicine into their country, safely and legally.
What is edaravone (Radicut/Radicava)?
Edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) is thought to act as a ‘radical scavenger’, helping the brain to clear itself of its waste (which are called free radicals). This is thought to prevent damage to motor neurons and to slow the decline in physical function.
Learn more about costs and delivery
How effective is edaravone (Radicut/Radicava)?
The approval of edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) for ALS was based on a clinical trial that lasted 24 weeks and involved 137 people: 69 were given edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) and 68 received a placebo.
Patients in the study
On average, patients taking edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) lost 5.01 points on the ALSFRS-R* test, whereas patients taking the placebo lost 7.5 points. This equates to a 33% difference. On average the effect of edaravone was superior to placebo, however, there were substantial differences in results shown in patients, with some individuals showing greater improvements than others.
At 6 months
33%
difference in physical
function scores
function scores
After 48 weeks
58%
reduction in probability
of disease progression
or death
of disease progression
or death
A follow up study showed that patients who received edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) for an additional 24 weeks, after the initial study finished, continued to experience a significant reduction in the rate of decline in physical function. Patients who were given 24 weeks of placebo before switching to 24 weeks of edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) did not see the same benefits. Additionally, patients who received edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) for the full 48 weeks were around 58% less likely to experience significant disease progression or die.
* The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) test is commonly used to assess people's progression using 12 questions. These questions are set out to measure functions such as: walking, climbing stairs, and speech. Each question is rated on a scale of 0-4. These numbers are then added up to make for a total score out of a 48 points. The effectiveness of edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) was measured using this scale.
For more details refer to the prescribing information at the bottom of the page.
Which side effects can I expect with
edaravone (Radicut/Radicava)?
The most common side effects seen in the clinical trial were bruising (contusion) and gait disturbance. It is also associated with serious risks that require immediate medical care, such as hives, swelling, or shortness of breath, and allergic reactions to sodium bisulfite, an ingredient in the drug.
Please note this is not intended to be a comprehensive guide. Consult your treating doctor and the prescribing information at the bottom of the page for full details of side effects.
Independent patient reviews
Perceived effectivness
Common side effects
Intensity of side effects
Data provided by
This data has been taken from the website PatientsLikeMe. This platform was initially built for people with ALS, with the intention of connecting patients. The platform has now grown to include more than 600,000 patients who track and report on their experiences with 2,800 conditions and is one of the largest archives of patient-reported, data available today.
How is edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) taken?
Please note this is not intended to be a treatment plan. For a personalised treatment plan consult your doctor. For more details, you can also reference the full prescribing information at the bottom of the page.
How does edaravone (Radicut/Radicava) work?
For more details about the way Radicut (edaravone) works, consult your doctor or see the prescribing information at the bottom of the page. This is not intended to be a comprehensive scientific explanation.
More information about edaravone (Radicut/Radicava)
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![What’s the difference between a brand name and a generic medicine?]()
What’s the difference between a brand name and a generic medicine?
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![How effective is Radicava/Radicut (edaravone) for ALS?]()
How effective is Radicava/Radicut (edaravone) for ALS?
Need support?
If you are a patient with ALS or have a relative with ALS, you might want to ask questions about the medicine for this disease. If you’d like to ask questions about how to get edaravone (Radicut/Radicava), or about our service in general, our team of qualified pharmacists and experts are ready to offer support and assist with queries. Our team speaks 17 different languages and is ready to help.
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