During the COVID-19 pandemic in England, treatment with Brineura (cerliponase alfa) was considered “essential” for children with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) — also called late infantile Batten disease. That resulted in no patients missing any doses of the therapy, which is designed to slow the progressive…
News
Bionews, the publisher of this website, hosted a virtual panel discussion on Rare Disease Day 2022, taking a deeper dive into what it’s like to live with a rare disease, including conversations about advocacy, mental health, survivor’s guilt, treatment of minority patients, and more. The Monday event, “A…
A rare disease puts an economic burden on the patients, families, and caregivers that it affects, and will no doubt be an integral part of discussions on Rare Disease Day 2022, which brings international awareness about the more than 300 million people living with rare disorders. Part of that…
Children with CLN5, a type of late infantile Batten disease, are now being recruited for a first-in-human clinical trial testing NGN-101, Neurogene‘s experimental gene therapy for the rare neurological condition. The trial will be conducted at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), in upstate New York, the company …
The nonprofit RARE-X is creating an easily-accessible, centralized data hub for all rare disease patient data that can help researchers answer questions about existing disorders, discover new ones, and work toward finding treatments. It was spun out of the work that Nicole Boice, founder and chief engagement officer of…
It’s been nearly a year since the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases released its expansive report finding the total economic burden of rare disorders in the U.S. to be nearly $1 trillion.
Brineura (cerliponase alfa) — a therapy developed by BioMarin for late infantile Batten disease that is typically infused directly into the brain — is being administered into the eyes of a select group of children with the disorder as an attempt to prevent vision loss. The study,…
Gene therapy safely and effectively eased the signs and symptoms of CLN7 disease, a form of late-infantile Batten disease, in cells and a mouse model, a study demonstrated. These findings supported the launch of a Phase 1 trial (NCT04737460), being conducted at Dallas Children’s Hospital, in Texas, involving…
Since 2008, Rare Disease Day — the last day of February — has brought together patients, caregivers, family members, friends, and advocates from around the world to raise awareness and improve equity for the more than 7,000 known rare diseases that affect more than 300 million people. In 2022, the…
Note: This story was updated Feb. 4, 2022, to correct the following information: Laura Edwards worked in healthcare marketing. She gave birth to a child on the eighth floor of the hospital where her sister Taylor was being transferred to hospice care. Also, it was the nonprofit organization Taylor’s…
Recent Posts
- Miglustat may slow physical decline in juvenile Batten disease: Study
- FDA clears late infantile Batten disease gene therapy for testing
- Giving thanks for every milestone as a CLN2 Batten disease parent
- Brain abnormalities can vary by age, sex in juvenile Batten
- How Batten disease parents can drive change through advocacy
- How we celebrate Halloween with medically complex children
- Signs of early brain disruption prompt timely CLN3 gene therapy
- Changing seasons brings precious moments of beauty
- Biotech companies partner on Batten disease gene therapy
- No days off: Living in the fire as a rare disease parent