People living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) will benefit from BC PharmaCare’s coverage of a new medication used to treat this life-altering and rare disease.

On July 19, 2023, sodium phenylbutyrate and ursodoxicoltaurine (Albrioza) will be added to the PharmaCare formulary as a limited coverage benefit. Albrioza is taken orally and works to slow disease progression and loss of functional decline in eligible people living with ALS. In the first year of implementation, coverage is expected to benefit as many as 100 patients in B.C.

There are two other therapies available for the treatment of ALS. Edaravone (Radicava) intravenous formulation has been funded as a limited coverage benefit by BC PharmaCare since August 2020. Riluzole (Rilutek and generics) is also covered on an exceptional case-by-case basis.

ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that gradually causes patients to lose the ability to move, speak, swallow and breathe. Patients are typically in their mid-to-late 50s when they present with symptoms and the average survival time ranges from 20 to 48 months.

Expanding access to ALS medications builds on the Province’s previous actions to support people living with ALS, including a $4-million investment in the ALS Society of BC’s Project Hope to establish a world-class ALS clinic at the University of British Columbia, which will care for patients, conduct research and increase patient access to clinical trials.

Learn More:

To learn more about the ALS Society of BC, visit: https://www.alsbc.ca/

To learn more about the Province’s action to help people living with ALS, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021HLTH0097-000896 and
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0114-000509

To learn more about BC PharmaCare, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare-for-bc-residents