TORONTO, August 1, 2023 /CNW/ - Amylyx Pharmaceuticals Canada announced today that the Company has entered into a Product Listing Agreement with Alberta for the public reimbursement of ALBRIOZA™ (sodium phenylbutyrate and ursodoxicoltaurine), effective August 1, 2023. Through the Alberta Drug Benefit List, the treatment will be reimbursed for its use in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the CENTAUR clinical trial, ALBRIOZA demonstrated a significant reduction in disease progression and functional decline among individuals diagnosed with ALS.i This promising result has the potential to provide these individuals with prolonged periods of functional independence and enhanced quality of life.
“Public coverage for this treatment is very welcome news and will greatly benefit those living with and affected by ALS in Alberta. We know that time is of the essence for our families, and ease of access to approved therapy like this is paramount to their quality of life. Ensuring that Albertans dependent on public coverage can benefit from this innovative treatment will give them more opportunities to spend time and share moments with their loved ones,” said Leslie Ring-Adams, Executive Director of the ALS Society of Alberta.
Amylyx is continuing to work with other provincial, territorial, and federal drug plans to have ALBRIOZA listed on public formularies across the country.
“We are grateful for Alberta’s collaboration on behalf of individuals living with ALS and for their support for and listing of ALBRIOZA on the public formulary,” said Chris Aiello, General Manager and Head of Canada at Amylyx. “We will continue to work with other Canadian drug plans to ensure equitable access to ALBRIOZA for all eligible Canadians as quickly as possible. Given the rapid progression of the disease, we do not have time to spare. We remain hopeful that the other public drug plans will take similar steps to ensure that Canadians relying on public coverage can access this treatment in a timely manner.”
“With the fast-progressing nature of ALS, those living with the disease can experience a rapid decline in function. As such, timely access to treatment that can slow progression and preserve function longer is vital,” said Dr. Lawrence Korngut, Neurologist at the Calgary ALS and Motor Neuron Disease Clinic, Associate Professor, University of Calgary. “I and others in my field look forward hopefully to ALBRIOZA’s listing on more public drug plans for eligible Canadians.”
As ALS advances, individuals affected by the disease experience a gradual decline in mobility, significantly impacting their ability to perform daily activities such as feeding and dressing themselves. Communication and physical contact, such as speaking with and hugging loved ones, become increasingly difficult. Ultimately, the disease leads to the loss of essential functions like swallowing and breathing. With a median life expectancy of two years following diagnosis, Canadians living with ALS do not have the time to wait.
About ALS
ALS is a relentlessly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by motor neuron death in the brain and spinal cord with a median life expectancy of two years from diagnosis.ii Motor neuron loss in ALS leads to deteriorating muscle function, the inability to move and speak, respiratory paralysis and eventually, death.
About ALBRIOZA™
ALBRIOZA™ (sodium phenylbutyrate and ursodoxicoltaurine), previously known as AMX0035, is an oral fixed-dose medication approved with conditions to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Canada. It is approved to treat ALS in adults in the U.S. as RELYVRIO®. AMX0035 is being explored for the potential treatment of other neurodegenerative diseases. The formulation of RELYVRIO, ALBRIOZA, and AMX0035 are identical.
About Amylyx Pharmaceuticals
Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is committed to supporting and creating more moments for the neurodegenerative disease community through the discovery and development of innovative new treatments. Amylyx is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts and has operations in Canada and EMEA. For more information, visit amylyx.ca and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
For media inquiries, please contact the Amylyx Media Team at +1 (857) 799-7274 or amylyxmediateam@amylyx.com.
--------------------------------
i Long-term survival of participants in the CENTAUR trial of sodium phenylbutyrate-taurursodiol in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - PubMed (nih.gov)
ii Survival and epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases in the Chicago and Detroit metropolitan cohort: incident cases 2009–2011 and survival through 2018