Mitsubishi Tanabe Opens Phone Support for Those Interested in Radicava

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America (MTPA) has set up a support program for adults living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and wanting to learn more about this disease and Radicava (edaravone), an intravenous ALS treatment the company markets in the U.S.

Called JourneyMate, the program connects ALS patients and caregivers by phone to a specialist nurse to discuss this disease and its diagnosis, support programs available to U.S. patients, and information on Radicava as a treatment.

Radicava, the first ALS treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in more than 20 years, was developed by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma. It works to slow the decline of physical functioning in ALS patients.

“We interact with the ALS community regularly to understand their needs and how we can help, and in doing so we learned many people who are recently diagnosed desire to speak to someone knowledgeable and sensitive to their situation,” Joseph Scalia, MTPA vice president of commercial sales and marketing, said in a press release. “We are excited to be able to provide this program to the entire community, adding to their arsenal of resources.”

JourneyMate is meant to supplement patient discussions with their doctors. Rather than dispense advice, the program provides specialized information to those who wish to learn more, particularly about Radicava as a treatment.

JourneyMate representatives can answer questions about ALS disease progression, support patients preparing to talk with their healthcare team about treatment, explain Radicava and its infusion process, and provide caregivers with helpful resources. They can also give information about Searchlight Support, a support program for Radicava access.

A JourneyMate nurse can be reached weekdays at 855-457-6968 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST. Messages left during off hours will be addressed the following day. More information on the program is available here.

Callers with topics that a JourneyMate representative may not discuss will be guided to appropriate resources. Toward the end of each phone conversation, JourneyMate representatives will give callers information on relevant resources and tools.

Radicava has a neuroprotective effect and slows ALS progression by removing free radicals in the nervous system that eventually lead to oxidative stress, and cellular damage as a consequence of high levels of oxidant molecules.

The therapy was approved to treat ALS in Japan and South Korea in 2015, and in the United States in 2017. It was approved in Canada in 2018, and in Switzerland last year. Quebec added Radicava to its provincial medication plan, allowing for low-cost access, this month.

Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is a progressive neurological disease that destroys nerve cells and causes disability. The disease causes the death of motor neurons, which control voluntary muscles. In the United States, about 5,000 individuals are diagnosed with ALS each year.