What medication is the only drug approved for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)?

What medication is the only drug approved for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)?

• A. Riluzole.
• B. Interferon.
• C. Lidocaine.
• D. Cisplatin.

Answer: (A)

In ALS, treatment aims to slow progression and extend survival, and only one medication has shown a survival benefit. This drug works by reducing glutamate-driven excitotoxicity, a process thought to contribute to motor neuron degeneration in ALS, so it modestly slows the disease’s progression rather than reversing it. The other drugs listed do not target ALS in this way: an immunomodulator used for other conditions, a local anesthetic/antiarrhythmic, and a chemotherapy agent with neurotoxic effects—none are disease-modifying therapies for ALS. Because riluzole can affect the liver, monitoring liver function is important while therapy continues, and patients may experience dizziness or nausea as side effects.

In ALS, treatment aims to slow progression and extend survival, and only one medication has shown a survival benefit. This drug works by reducing glutamate-driven excitotoxicity, a process thought to contribute to motor neuron degeneration in ALS, so it modestly slows the disease’s progression rather than reversing it. The other drugs listed do not target ALS in this way: an immunomodulator used for other conditions, a local anesthetic/antiarrhythmic, and a chemotherapy agent with neurotoxic effects—none are disease-modifying therapies for ALS. Because riluzole can affect the liver, monitoring liver function is important while therapy continues, and patients may experience dizziness or nausea as side effects.