FDA approves 1st ALS treatment in 22 years

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Radicava — a new treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Here are five things to know.

1. Radicava marks the first FDA-approved ALS treatment since riluzole hit the market in 1995, reports CNN.

2. The intravenous drug, developed by MT Pharma America, is administered daily in two-week treatment cycles.

3. The drug's list price is $1,000 per infusion, which totals nearly $150,000 annually, according to CNN.

4. Clinical trials conducted in Japan show patients taking Radicava had slower disease progression than those taking a placebo.

5. Jersey City, N.J.-based MT Pharma expects Radicava to hit the market in August.

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