Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada, Inc. (MTP-CA), a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA), today announced that RADICAVA® (edaravone) is now listed on the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary (Exceptional Access Program). RADICAVA is an intravenous infusion treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

"The listing of RADICAVA on the Ontario public formulary is an important step in our long-term commitment to the ALS community in Canada," said Atsushi Fujimoto, President, MTP-CA. "We want to thank the Government of Ontario for its leadership in making this treatment accessible to ALS patients in Ontario who are eligible for coverage under the Ontario Drug Benefit program."

MTP-CA is continuing to have discussions with other provinces, territories and federal agencies regarding the listing of RADICAVA under publicly funded drug programs.

"This new coverage is an important step forward for eligible patients living with ALS,'' said Lorne Zinman, M.D., M.Sc., FRCPC, Director of the ALS and Neuromuscular Clinic at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. "It provides the opportunity for patients with public drug benefits and their treating physicians to, when clinically appropriate, utilize this innovative therapy to help slow the loss of function in patients with ALS.''

ALS is a rapidly progressive, neurodegenerative, fatal disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement.1

"The availability of RADICAVA on the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary (Exceptional Access Program) is an important milestone and demonstrates that together the collective voices of the ALS community can make a difference," said Tammy Moore, CEO, ALS Society of Canada. "We are pleased the Government of Ontario has moved quickly in a complex process of approval and negotiation."

About RADICAVA® (edaravone)
RADICAVA is indicated to slow the loss of function in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as measured by the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R).2 Edaravone was discovered and developed for ALS by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) through an iterative clinical development platform over a 13-year period. In 2015, edaravone was approved for use as a treatment for ALS in Japan and South Korea. RADICAVA was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May of 2017. Marketing authorization was granted in Canada in October 2018 and Switzerland in January 2019.

SOURCE: Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada, Inc.