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.
Feedback helps us identify gaps, errors, usability problems and opportunities to improve Compass over time.
International Alliance
Part of International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations
Open source (opens in a new tab)Link checked August 2026
About this source
International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations’s organisation.
Where this source is used
Used in 3 places across 1 domain.
Questions
Medical Care
Treatments
- How does riluzole work and what can I realistically expect from it?
Supports a claim in this answer
riluzole can extend survival or delay the need for ventilation by around 2 to 3 months
- How does riluzole work and what can I realistically expect from it?
Qualifies this
“Some non-randomised studies of riluzole in routine care have reported longer survival than the trials did, and they cannot show that riluzole caused the difference.”
Reports much larger real-world figures than the trial estimate, from observational studies rather than randomised trials. A 2020 review found eight of fifteen such studies reported survival a median of six to nineteen months longer, so fewer than half found that gain. Nobody was randomised, so the difference cannot be attributed to the drug. Summarised because those sentences carry errors.
Resources
Medical Care
Treatments
- How does riluzole work and what can I realistically expect from it?
Further reading
Overview of how riluzole is used in ALS and the evidence behind it
This is an external source. Compass links to it and describes it but does not hold rights over it. Opening it takes you to the publisher’s own site.