Rilutek (Riluzole) may extend survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals has developed an agent to extend tracheostomy-free survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Two multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials were conducted. In one randomized trial of 155 patients, tracheostomy-free survival increased in comparison to the placebo group. After 12 months of study, the survival rate was 74%. At the study end-point (18 months), survival rates were 49% vs. 42% for the placebo group. In a second study with 959 patients, tracheostomy-free survival was extended and survival rates were better for the drug group vs. the placebo group. The company does state that tracheostomy-free survival is individual and cannot be predicted in a given patient. In the clinical trials, measures of muscle strength and neurological function did not show improvement. Adverse reactions experienced during the trials included asthenia, nausea, lung function decrease and headache. Drug interactions can occur, especially with those medications bound to plasma proteins. Use of Rilutek is cautioned in patients with hepatic or renal dysfunction.