A new international consortium based in Paris, and funded largely by the 28-member European Union, intends to speed the diagnosis of rare diseases, while also accelerating the development of treatments for the 95% of such illnesses that currently don’t have one. The European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases (EJP…
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A database with mutations associated with Pompe disease has been extended and links different gene variants with their potential clinical severity to better predict outcomes. The study, “Extension of the Pompe mutation database by linking disease-associated variants to clinical severity,” appeared in the journal Human…
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing an abnormally bright signal in the tongue is common among patients with late-onset Pompe disease, a study has found. This particular imaging feature may hold diagnostic potential as it seems to be specific to Pompe disease patients with muscle weakness, not being detected in…
It wasn’t until Gordana Loleska’s son David was 14 years old that doctors in their native North Macedonia diagnosed his kidney, vision, and hearing problems as Alport syndrome. Although she had known for years that something was wrong, the news that David would battle a lifelong rare disease devastated…
Amicus Therapeutics announced that it has entered into a manufacturing agreement with Paragon Bioservices to drive the development of technologies, including gene therapies, now in preclinical testing for the treatment of rare genetic disorders like Pompe disease. These include a series of lysosomal disorder programs, jointly developed by Paragon (now…
A violinist with vasculitis, two Texas politicians and a pharmaceutical company whose marijuana-derived therapy helps kids with Dravet syndrome were among winners of the 2019 Rare Impact Awards. Officials of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) presented the awards during a June 22 dinner attended by…
Europe’s umbrella organization for 800 rare disease associations has developed a sweeping initiative to help the continent’s 30 million rare disease patients and their caregivers learn about their conditions, find assistance and receive treatment. Eurordis-Rare Diseases Europe hopes to improve the current piecemeal treatment and support program with a holistic,…
People with rare diseases know that the right government policies can make a big difference in the quality of their own lives, and those of their caregivers. But most lawmakers aren’t experts in even one well-known disease — let alone the world’s estimated 7,000 rare disorders. So how does the…
Salmeterol, a vasodilator approved for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), has shown potential to improve the effectiveness of gene therapy for Pompe disease. Studies in mice demonstrated that administering salmeterol as an add-on treatment to gene therapy can significantly reduce the amount…
Amicus Therapeutics and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have expanded their research collaboration to develop new gene therapies for Pompe disease as well as other rare genetic diseases, the company announced. Encouraged by the success of an ongoing collaboration,…