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In recognition of Rare Disease Day Feb. 29, Bionews Services launched a social media campaign last month asking patients to describe what makes them rare. Running Feb. 7–29, the #WhatMakesMeRare campaign was aimed at uplifting people with rare diseases by encouraging them to share their stories and perspectives. The…

Beginning on Feb. 29, Rare Disease Day, chapters from notable scientific books and clinical review articles covering rare disorders will be available free-of-charge from Elsevier. The offer runs through April 30, and aims to supports work by researchers and clinicians into a better understanding of and treatments for rare diseases, as well…

Etravirine — an approved anti-viral therapy for HIV — is expected to soon enter clinical testing as a potential new treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) in a pilot Phase 2 trial taking place in Italy. The proof-of-concept study (NCT04273165), called FAEST1, which is being conducted…

Starting a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit isn’t easy, but the National Organization for Rare Disorders gave a few tips for those  looking to begin the complex process in its Feb. 20 webinar.  William Whitman…

The Institute for Gene Therapies (IGT) has launched, with the aim of maximizing the potential of gene therapies in genetic disorders such as Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). Comprised of industry leaders, scientists, and patient advocates, the IGT’s overarching goal is to set the foundation for a modernized regulatory…

An abundance of events are afoot around the world to mark Rare Disease Day 2020 on Feb. 29. The activities are focused on heightening awareness about rare diseases and the hundreds of millions of individuals they are thought to affect. Patients, caregivers, and advocates worldwide will sport denim ribbons…

Increased thickness of the lower left chamber of the heart — the left ventricle — is one of the most common structural heart abnormalities found in patients with Friedreich’s ataxia and also correlates with genetic disease severity in adults, a study has found. The study, “Left ventricular structural…

SNH6, a new dual-action therapy, has the potential to restore mitochondria function and may ultimately be used to treat cardiomyopathy in patients with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), a mouse study found. The compound’s dual mechanism allows it to both…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a vast government bureaucracy, employs about 17,500 people and had a budget of $5.7 billion in 2019. Yet even with its enormous resources, the FDA these days relies more and more on patients to…

The gleaming new Dutch headquarters of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), fronting Domenico Scarlattilaan in Amsterdam’s suburban Zuidas business district, finally opened for business last month — just over two years after the European Union decided to relocate the EMA to the Netherlands in the wake of Brexit.