News

4 years of Skyclarys slows Friedreich’s ataxia progression

Four years of daily treatment with Skyclarys (omaveloxolone) continues to slow the progression of Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) compared to what would be expected in patients without treatment. That’s according to new data from the extension study of the Phase 2 MOXIe clinical trial (NCT02255435), which also showed…

Bill Nye returns to his lab, with a goal of raising awareness of FA

Bill Nye is back in the lab, with the host of the popular 1990s science education TV show “Bill Nye the Science Guy” now starring in a National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) campaign focused on raising awareness and understanding of Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). FA is a rare, inherited, and progressive disorder. It…

Antioxidant supplement boosts frataxin in FA cells: Study

Supplementation with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), a naturally occurring antioxidant, boosts the production of frataxin, the protein that’s deficient in people with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), according to a cell-based study. Alpha-lipoic acid reversed many cellular features of FA, including dysfunction of energy-producing mitochondria, impaired iron metabolism, and oxidative stress, a…

2 sisters with FA recover sensory nerve activity with Skyclarys

Skyclarys (omaveloxolone) may improve the function of peripheral sensory nerves — those found outside the brain and spinal cord, which detect sensations and help provide the brain with information — in people with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). That’s according to a new report from Slovenia describing the cases of two sisters…

Study shows Skyclarys helps heart function in FA mice

A new study reports that Skyclarys (omaveloxolone) improves the heart’s ability to contract and pump blood while reducing inflammation and heart failure markers in a mouse model of Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) with severe heart disease. Skyclarys had no impact on the development of scar tissue, or fibrosis, in…