The ALS/MND prevalence in Sweden estimated by riluzole sales statistics

Objectives – To determine whether sales statistics for riluzole can be used as a marker for the prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/motor neuron disease (MND) in Sweden. Materials and methods – A questionnaire was sent to all neurological units in Sweden asking about the numbers of patients with ALS/MND and whether these patients were treated with riluzole. Sales statistics for riluzole were obtained from the 906 public pharmacies and 89 hospital pharmacies in Sweden. Results – Eighty percent of the neurological units answered the questionnaire. The estimated prevalence in September 2003 from the questionnaire was 5.4/100,000 inhabitants. The sales expressed in defined daily dose/100,000 inhabitants/day was 3.8. For the counties the correlation between these two parameters was 0.83. Conclusion – Estimated prevalence is highly correlated with sales statistics for riluzole. Riluzole sales statistics could be used as a crude marker for the prevalence of ALS/MND in Sweden.