The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted the designation of orphan drug to ARU-1801, an experimental gene therapy being developed by Aruvant, for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). The decision, based on a positive recommendation by the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use,…
News
Leaders in the U.S. rare disease community came together recently for a webinar to present helpful information on how to start a nonprofit and patient registry. They shared about how their respective organizations came to be, as well as the benefits of creating patient registries and how they can help…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated rifaximin, an oral antibiotic, an orphan drug as a potential treatment of pain crises due to sickle cell disease (SCD), according to a press release. A Phase 2 trial testing this antibiotic in SCD patients, in a new formulation for…
FT-4202, a potential disease-modifying oral treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) by Forma Therapeutics, has been designated an orphan drug by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The decision was based on a positive recommendation by EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use. Orphan designation is given to investigative…
A team of researchers led by UNC Project-Malawi has been given a one-year, $500,000 grant to build clinical and research infrastructure that will improve diagnosis and treatment for children living with sickle cell disease (SCD) in Malawi. Malawi is a country located in sub-Saharan Africa. Each year…
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)’s RareLaunch training program will host two days of free virtual workshops in December, with the aim of empowering leaders to start non-profit organizations and research programs to help people with rare diseases. “The RareLaunch program is…
The European Commission and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have granted orphan drug status to CSL889, an investigational therapy for the treatment of acute vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in sickle cell disease (SCD), CSL Behring, the medicine’s maker, announced in a press…
The European Commission has approved Novartis’ Adakveo (crizanlizumab) as a preventive treatment for recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in people, 16 and older, with sickle cell disease (SCD). The approval covers the use of Adakveo in combination with hydroxyurea (also known as hydroxycarbamide) — another approved therapy…
A photo of a bespectacled young boy, his red baseball cap slightly askew as he enjoys time outside, will be featured on the front cover of an upcoming calendar in the “Same But Different” contest to raise awareness about rare disorders. “A Lovely Day Out in Kew Gardens,”…
FTX-6058, an investigational oral treatment being developed by Fulcrum Therapeutics for sickle cell disease (SCD) and beta-thalassemia, is entering a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers, the company announced. The trial (NCT04586985), not yet enrolling, aims to recruit 88 adults at its single Altasciences Clinical Kansas site. The…
Recent Posts
- New reimbursement deal in Germany expands access to Casgevy for SCD
- New York study finds regional gaps in sickle cell disease hospitalizations
- When a sickle cell pain crisis interrupts a stretch of good health, part 1
- Scientists discover how stressed red blood cells make hemoglobin
- How my sickle cell disease advocacy has evolved over time
- New study links sickle cell anemia to lower ovarian reserve in women
- $3M Breakthrough Prize honors duo whose work changed SCD treatment
- Etavopivat Phase 3 results support potential approval in sickle cell disease
- New diagnoses result in new grief and a new relationship with my body
- Study finds lower treatment use among SCD patients in sub-Saharan Africa