News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review to Reata Pharmaceuticals’ omaveloxolone, an investigational once-daily oral therapy for Friedreich’s ataxia. If approved, omaveloxolone would become the first therapy available for the treatment of the disease in the U.S. The decision comes following the company rounding…

Increased sodium levels were found in regions of the brain commonly affected by Friedreich ataxia (FA) — the cerebellum and brainstem — before structural changes, an MRI imaging study has demonstrated for the first time. The findings showed that increased sodium in these regions was related to an earlier…

Astrocytes, a type of support cell in the brain, showed metabolic defects and unusual pro-inflammatory activity that likely contributes to neuronal dysfunction in a cell model of Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), according to a new study. Results also indicate that treatment with a molecule called smoothened agonist (SAG) can normalize…

Compounds that blocked the activity of histone deacetylases — enzymes that suppress gene activity — increased the activity of the FXN gene, which is low in people with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) and limits frataxin protein levels, a proof-of-concept study demonstrated. Researchers used nerve cells derived from FA patients to screen…

The annual Friedreich’s Ataxia Awareness Month has commenced to raise disease awareness and honor the 15,000 people living with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) worldwide. Observed each May, the event seeks to spotlight the rare neuromuscular disease among the public, scientists, health professionals, and lawmakers around the world. “One of the…

A Russian military plane crash near Tetiana Zamorska’s home in Kyiv, Ukraine, was a sign that it was time for her and her family to leave. The treacherous, 34-hour pilgrimage that ultimately brought the group of eight by car to temporary accommodations in neighboring Poland last month was physically and emotionally difficult,…

Friedriech’s ataxia (FA) affects growth and weight in both adult and children, with the degree of differences from the general public in these key measures of health associated with disease severity, a study based on data from a large patient group reported. While children showed a markedly higher prevalence…

The European Commission is expected to propose a new governing framework for health data next month, called the European Health Data Space (EHDS), with the aim of connecting national health systems to facilitate secure and efficient transfer of data across systems in different European nations. The move is expected to…

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is offering grant awards to researchers working to improve care for Friedreich’s ataxia. The DoD’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) is a funding organization whose goal is to further the development of new approaches to address specific areas of biomedical research as…

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…