Edaravone

Edaravone, sold as under the brand names Radicava and Radicut, is an intravenous medication used to help with recovery following a stroke and to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Edaravone, sold as under the brand names Radicava and Radicut, is an intravenous medication used to help with recovery following a stroke and to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The label carries a warning about the potential for hypersensitivity reactions to edaravone, and adverse effects include bruising, gait disturbances, headache, skin inflammation, eczema, problems breathing, excess sugar in urine, and fungal skin infections. The mechanism by which edaravone might be effective is unknown. The drug is known to be an antioxidant, and oxidative stress has been hypothesized to be part of the process that kills neurons in people with ALS. Edaravone is used to help people recover from stroke in Japan, and is used to treat ALS in the US and Japan. It was approved for ALS in the US in 2017 based on a small randomized controlled clinical trial with people who had early-stage ALS in Japan, who were administered the drug for 6 months; it had failed two earlier trials in people with all stages of ALS. It is given by intravenous infusion. There is no data on whether it is safe for pregnant women to take, and it is unknown if edaravone is secreted in breast milk. The label carries a warning about the potential for hypersensitivity reactions to edaravone. The following adverse effects in at least 2% more people given the drug than were given placebo: bruising, gait disturbances, headache, skin inflammation, eczema, problems breathing, excess sugar in urine, and fungal skin infections. The mechanism by which edaravone might be effective in ALS is unknown. The drug is known to be an antioxidant, and oxidative stress has been hypothesized to be part of the process that kills neurons in people with ALS.