The Muscular Dystrophy Association is set to host the first Pompe disease Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) meeting next year to inform therapy developers, regulators, and other stakeholders about the experiences of Pompe disease patients and caregivers, as well as their expectations for future treatments. Patients and family members interested…
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With so much recent publicity surrounding gene therapy, it’s no surprise that the topic was a major focus of the recent 2019 NORD Rare Diseases & Orphan Products Breakthrough Summit. From diagnosis and clinical trial design to manufacturing, pricing strategies, and ethical concerns, gene therapy — both its high…
Despite skyrocketing healthcare costs, President Trump is committed to protecting the 30 million or so Americans with rare diseases and ensuring timely, affordable access to lifesaving treatments, the nation’s highest-ranking health official said. “We have to think about how our financing system can protect those with serious and rare illnesses.
A glance around the walls of Barry J. Byrne’s office reveals a lot about the pediatric cardiologist who runs the Powell Gene Therapy Center at University of Florida (UF). In one corner is an unusual painting by 9-year-old Will Barkowsky of Jacksonville, Fla. Will, the first boy with…
People with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) can develop damage to the nerves that run throughout their body, a recent case report about four patients shows. Such nerve damage in LOPD patients can worsen disability and needs special attention and care, such as physiotherapy. The report with those findings, “…
Rare disease-themed videos glowed on a large screen before an audience of people in wheelchairs, with crutches, and bearing oxygen tanks this Nov. 9 and 10 in San Francisco. Disorder: The Rare Disease Film Festival strives to eventually host a film about every one of the nearly 7,000 rare…
Muscle strength and function measurements in people with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) correlate with whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WBMRI) results, a new study suggests. The study, “Whole‐body MRI in Late‐onset Pompe Disease: Clinical utility and correlation with functional measures,” was published in the Journal of Inherited Metabolic…
A molecular “tag” to improve distribution of the acid-alpha glucosidase (GAA) protein within cells enhanced the efficacy of gene therapy in a mouse model of Pompe disease, a recent study suggests. The study, titled “AAV Gene Therapy Utilizing Glycosylation-Independent Lysosomal Targeting Tagged GAA in the…
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Enzyme Replacement Therapy Loses Effectiveness in Pompe Patients with Long-term Use, Study Suggests
Long-term enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) to treat people with Pompe disease loses effectiveness in maintaining walking ability, muscle strength, and lung function, a new study shows. Despite these results, ERT improved lung function when compared to the predicted outcome without ERT, and some patients responded…
Adding carvedilol, the active compound of a blood pressure medicine, to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Pompe disease can improve its effectiveness in reaching and strengthening skeletal muscles, a study in mice suggests. This finding, “Evaluation of antihypertensive drugs in combination with enzyme replacement therapy in mice with…