News

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has updated its State Report Card to make it more digitally friendly and added telehealth to its categories of rare disease policy issues in a nod to its increased use during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. NORD’s report card project began seven…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is extending by three months its review timeline for vutrisiran, an experimental therapy for familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) developed by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. A decision, originally anticipated this month, is now expected by July 14. According to Alnylam, the FDA recently inspected…

Small vesicles in the blood contribute to the clumping or aggregation, and toxic accumulation of the transthyretin (TTR) protein in people with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), a study shows. These findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms of FAP and point to these small blood vesicles, known as extracellular…

A highly sensitive tool has been developed to help identify patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). Using a compound score based on clinical symptoms and electrophysiological data, clinicians can now determine which patients should undergo genetic testing. “This score can be easily performed also during electrophysiological evaluation and can…

Healthcare providers involved in diagnosing and treating rare diseases believe that increased physician education and collaboration with specialized facilities will have the greatest positive impact on treating these conditions over the next five years, according to results from a 2021 survey. Definitive Healthcare, a healthcare commercial intelligence company, conducted…

Familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) caused by Thr49Ser, a rare disease-causing mutation, was identified for the first time in three patients from Japan, as described in a recent case series. The mutation appears to be highly penetrant, according to the report, meaning most people carrying it develop overt disease symptoms.

Patient registries are a hot topic of rare disease research and many organizations are taking advantage of this resource by signing up their patient communities and connecting with researchers. Eric Sid, MD, program officer for the Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR), said it is difficult to estimate how…

Early signs of swallowing difficulties and carpal tunnel syndrome may serve as biomarkers for familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) patients carrying the Ala97Ser (A97S) mutation, a study suggests. According to researchers, these factors may help identify A97S patients who might benefit from early treatment. The study, “Unique Phenotypes With…

Horizon Therapeutics has launched its #RAREis Representation program aimed at increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion among patients with rare diseases. There are about 400 million people worldwide living with a rare disease; for many of them, access to diagnosis, care, and treatments can be challenging. Accessing better care depends on…

A single dose of NTLA-2001, Intellia Therapeutics’ investigational gene-editing therapy, safely and effectively leads to rapid and sustained reductions in the levels of the damaging transthyretin (TTR) protein in people with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), according to interim data from a Phase 1 trial. Notably, maximum TTR reductions…