Magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), an MRI scanning tool based on nerve imaging, may help diagnose familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) in its early stages, a study suggests. With delays in diagnosis that often range from 1-5 years, such a determination could possibly lead to earlier…
The EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases has launched a nationwide National Burden of Rare Disease Survey to measure the full implications, economic and social, of living with rare disease in the United States. People with rare diseases know that the impacts of such conditions extend beyond just medical…
Levels of calprotectin, a marker of inflammation, are elevated in the feces of people with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) who experience gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, a study suggests. This finding implicates inflammation as a possible cause of gut symptoms in FAP and supports measuring calprotectin levels in people with…
The Italian Medicines Agency has added Tegsedi (inotersen), a treatment for familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), to the list of reimbursed therapies in the country. Tegsedi was approved to treat stage 1 or 2 polyneuropathy in adults with FAP — also called hereditary transthyretin (hATTR) amyloidosis…
The Alexion Charitable Foundation has awarded $1.1 million in grants to programs that support those with rare diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization recently announced. The grants will support activities that align with the foundation’s Rare Belonging focus, a set of funding priorities aimed at improving the…
Five advocacy groups for familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) are sharing a total $270,000 award given by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to support projects looking to promote patient care, and greater disease awareness and understanding. Two other groups, advocating on behalf…
The Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) recently created a Rare Disease Diversity Coalition focused on reducing racial disparities in the rare disease community. Getting a timely and accurate diagnosis for a disease that few people — sometimes even physicians — have heard of is challenging on its own merit.
Tegsedi (inotersen) continued to slow disease progression and improve the quality of life in people with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) after two years of treatment, and also maintained a positive safety profile up to five years, according to an extension…
The Portuguese Medicine Regulatory Authority, known as Infarmed, has added Tegsedi (inotersen) — an approved treatment for stage 1 or 2 polyneuropathy in adults with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) — to the list of reimbursed medications for patients living in Portugal. Tegsedi now will be the…
While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic won’t have much of an impact on cash available for new biotech startups, it has begun to cause delays in the development of gene therapies to treat a variety of rare diseases. That’s the consensus of industry experts who spoke in a May 26 webinar…