Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Patricia holds her PhD in cell biology from the University Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, and has served as an author on several research projects and fellowships, as well as major grant applications for European agencies. She also served as a PhD student research assistant in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University, New York, for which she was awarded a Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) fellowship.

Articles by Patricia Inácio

Wainua now available in US through Orsini specialty pharmacy

A few weeks after its approval in the U.S., Wainua (eplontersen) will now be available to adults with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). Orsini was selected as the exclusive specialty pharmacy partner to provide Wainua, which was co-developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca. The medication will also be made available through integrated…

Ultrasound may help assess FAP peripheral nerve malfunction

An ultrasound of the peripheral nerves could help monitor disease progression in people with early-stage familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) who carry V30M, the most common disease-causing mutation. That’s according to a study in Sweden that also showed that while about half of patients analyzed showed no signs of peripheral…

Noninvasive eye imaging technique may aid early FAP detection

Changes in the nerve fibers of the cornea — the eye’s clear protective outer layer — may help in the early diagnosis of hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR), a group of disorders that includes familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), a study shows. A noninvasive imaging method, called corneal confocal microscopy (CCM), identified…

Tegsedi seen to slow progressive muscle weakness, sensation loss

Tegsedi (inotersen) slows the progression of symptoms, particularly muscle weakness and sensation loss, in people with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), according to a post-hoc analysis of the Phase 3 NEURO-TTR trial. “These results support previous evidence demonstrating the efficacy of [Tegsedi] in this patient population,” its researchers wrote. Post-hoc analyses…

Modified eye surgery effective at lessening glaucoma in hATTR

A modified surgical procedure to implant a small filtration device — called Ex-PRESS — was effective at treating glaucoma in most people with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR), a group of disorders that includes familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), a study shows. The surgery also led to a significant drop in the…

CNS Affected at Early Stages in FAP Patients With Val30Met Mutation

Familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) patients who carry the Val30Met mutation may experience central nervous system involvement early in the disease course, likely before symptoms are noticeable, according to a small study. Involvement of the central nervous system (CNS, the brain and spinal cord) follows a three-stage progression, its researchers…