“Dysphagia is a fundamental symptom in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In a third of ALS cases it is an onset symptom, but generally already at the time of diagnosis more than half of the patients are dysphagic and, over time, almost 70% become dysphagic. -80%.Dysphagia clearly has a series of important implications for the nutritional aspect, but it also has an aspect that is generally less clear, is less considered and is represented by the disorder in swallowing, especially tablets which sometimes, in order to be swallowed , are crushed. This represents a problem because for all tablets, and for riluzole, crushing has also been shown to reduce the amount of drug that is actually taken by about 50%. Clearly this has an implication on the effect of therapy, because the drug is largely underused and the slowing down effect of the disease is “reduced”. Thus Adriano Chiò, University of Turin and director of Sc Neurologia 1 Aou Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, comments to Adnkronos on the news of the availability, also in Italy, of the first orodispersible formulation of riluzole, the only therapy approved to date in our country to slow the progression of ALS.
Zambon's new treatment consists of a thin film and allows the drug to be taken without any muscular effort. “The film, placed directly on the tongue, dissolves and is therefore basically swallowed in the saliva, so much so that the patient practically does not have to perform any swallowing act – explains Chiò – This is certainly a notable step forward, especially for the patient with disorders swallowing. Furthermore, this method of administration, which is also quite simple, can be helpful for subjects who are unable or have difficulty swallowing tablets. It is not just dysphagic subjects.”
The use of this method of administration in “treatment in a subject in whom a very small initial dysphagia is expected or already has can be an excellent therapeutic alternative to the usually available tablet”, highlights the specialist, because it solves the problem of ” change in an administration method which may represent” for the patient “a negative signal due to the sensation that” it is connected, “in some way, to the progression of the disease”.
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