Following up on our June 2016 blog post about edaravone, an intravenous drug therapy produced by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, locally based in Jersey City, N.J., with a head office in Osaka, Japan, there has been recent news as to the status of the drug in the U.S.

At the end of August 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted a New Drug Application (NDA) for edaravone, which has been used to treat stroke victims in Japan for the last twenty years. In a phase II clinical trial of edaravone, in a sub-group of people with ALS in Japan, researchers found a statistically significant improvement in the ALS Function Rating Scale-Revise. Edaravone works by getting rid of toxic by-products generated in cells, which is thought to protect against oxidative stress.

An “NDA” includes a comprehensive overview of a drug, including results and data analysis for the entire clinical development program and earlier preclinical testing, as well as the proposed labeling and manufacturing plans of the new drug.

This is extremely positive news for the ALS community, as acceptance of the NDA is the final stage of the development and approval process. Moreover, this is the first time that the FDA has ever accepted an NDA without first requiring an Investigational New Drug Application (IND), something that would have delayed the delivery of edaravone by many years. We appreciate the FDA for taking this step to help speed the approval of a potential ALS therapy. If approved, edaravone would be commercialized under the brand name Radicava™

While the company requested “priority review” for edaravone, which would have meant a six-month review time, the FDA accepted the application with a standard ten-month review. This means that a decision on the application is expected by June, 2017 based on timelines set by the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. This does not mean that the review will take the full ten months or preclude the FDA from acting sooner. We have been in contact with our colleagues at the FDA to reiterate the urgent need to move forward as quickly as possible.

The ALS Association joins the ALS community in urging a timely review of edaravone so that, if approved, it becomes available to people living with ALS as soon as possible. Every day makes a difference to people and their families fighting this disease. This truly is an exciting development for the ALS community, as it’s only the third potential ALS drug in history to advance this far in the drug development process (Riluzole and Myotrophin were the first two).