'I am relieved': Quebec to cover ALS medication after repeated calls from patients
CTV
A drug known to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS, will be covered by Quebec’s drug insurance plan – a change doctors and those living with ALS have been demanding for years.
A drug known to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS, will be covered by Quebec’s drug insurance plan – a change doctors and those living with ALS have been demanding for years.
ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a rare neurological condition affecting the nerve cells responsible for voluntary muscle movement, such as chewing, walking and talking. It’s progressive, meaning those symptoms tend to progress over time, until the brain is no longer able to initiate voluntary movement.
There are no cures for ALS, but there are treatments to slow its progression. One of them is Albrioza, typically taken dissolved in water or ingested through a feeding tube.
Amanda Tam has been living with ALS for about two years – she says she first started feeling off just days before her 21st birthday.
"A lot of twitching, grip strength was very strange, very weak. Doing exercise was very hard," she told CTV back in March.
Since her diagnosis, she has shared her experience on social media to show others what being a young person with ALS is like. Her videos, posted on TikTok, have garnered tens of thousands of views.