Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, (MTPA) announced that nearly 6,000 people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the U.S. have received treatment with RADICAVA (edaravone) since it became available to patients four years ago.

The needs of patients are at the centre of everything we do at MTPA," said Atsushi Fujimoto, President, MTPA. "Whether it's through ongoing analysis of real-world data or developing educational resources, our focus continues to be on making a difference for this community. We will never give up in the fight against this devastating disease."

Approximately 1,500 U.S. physicians have prescribed RADICAVA for their patients since 2017, when the therapy was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"An ALS diagnosis is a devastating experience for patients and their families," said Benjamin Rix Brooks, M.D., an ALS specialist and among the first physicians in the country to prescribe RADICAVA in the fall of 2017. "Four years ago, there had not been a new treatment for ALS approved in more than 20 years, and it was especially meaningful to be able to offer an option shown to delay functional loss, including in patients already on treatment with riluzole. After four years, we have been able to accrue further data describing real-world experience for patients with ALS treated with RADICAVA contributing to the overall body of knowledge in this area and ultimately will help inform patient treatment decisions for those suffering from ALS."

Over the last year, MTPA has worked to help advance the understanding of ALS and support the needs of those impacted by the disease in multiple ways.

About RADICAVA (edaravone)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RADICAVA(edaravone) on May 5, 2017, as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).Edaravone was discovered and developed for ALS by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) and commercialized in the U.S. by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. MTPC group companies began researching ALS in 2001 through an iterative clinical platform over a 13-year period. In 2015, edaravone was approved for use as a treatment for ALS in Japan and South Korea.