Riluzole for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by the death of motor neurons. Riluzole is a benzothiazole derivative that blocks glutamatergic neurotransmission in the CNS, which is thought to exert neuroprotective effects. Riluzole was approved by the US FDA in 1995 as the first drug to treat ALS. Although riluzole is generally safe and well tolerated in clinical practice, its efficacy in ALS is modest, prolonging tracheostomy-free survival by only 2-3 months. In this article, we will first provide an overview of the ALS field, followed by a discussion of riluzole regarding its physical properties; pharmacology; clinical efficacy in ALS; safety and tolerability; and recommended administration.
['Saitoh|Yuji|Y|0000-0002-0919-429X', 'Takahashi|Yuji|Y|']
D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists D006801:Humans D018696:Neuroprotective Agents D019782:Riluzole D016896:Treatment Outcome
riluzole amyotrophic lateral sclerosis tolerability adverse events drug efficacy randomized controlled trial