Alberta will cover pricey drug believed to extend and enhance lives of ALS patients | CBC News - eviltoast
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    1 year ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    People with ALS — amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a gradual wasting away of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord — live about two to five years after the onset of symptoms.

    The first signs of ALS include weakness in a leg, hand or the face, or having a hard time talking or swallowing, Alberta Health says on its website.

    As motor neurons slowly die, ALS causes muscle twitching, trouble using hands and fingers, problems with speaking, swallowing, eating, walking, and breathing.

    Dr. Theodore Mobach, a neurologist and director of the ALS clinic in Calgary, said trials are showing that Albrioza helps slow the death of the motor neuron cells.

    Mobach said because ALS doesn’t have a cure and it impacts patients so dramatically, Health Canada approved the drug conditionally based on the phase two trial.

    Patients are eligible for coverage through Alberta Blue Cross if they’ve had ALS symptoms for 18 months or less and don’t need to be on ventilation, according to the province’s drug benefit list.


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