Compass is still being developed and is effectively in beta. Some content and features may be incomplete, change, or not work as expected.

Content is anchored to trusted sources where available, but Compass has not yet been clinically reviewed. It provides general information rather than medical advice.

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Treatments and research

Off-label

Prescribing an approved medicine for a purpose it was not specifically approved for.

What it means

Common, and a decision for the prescriber, under rules that differ by country. Safety is established for the use a medicine was approved for; both the safety and the benefit in a different use may be much less certain.

Why you might hear it

  • Several symptom treatments in ALS/MND are used this way.
  • It sometimes affects whether a medicine is funded.

People who may help

Where Compass goes into this

About this explanation

These are plain explanations of words you may come across, not advice about your own situation. Where a word matters to a decision, the question pages go into it properly, and your own team is the place to take it.