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At a May 4 awards ceremony that will also mark the anniversary of its 1983 founding, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) will honor a group of rare disease innovators, advocates, and partners. This year’s Rare Impact Awards, presented at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, in Washington,…

The route of administration now used for the gene therapy Upstaza (eladocagene exuparvovec) — directly into the brain region, called the putamen, that’s affected by aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency — is better than other modes of delivery, an animal study showed. The other tested routes included…

A diagnosis of AADC deficiency is often delayed, leading to poor clinical outcomes, as reported for three children in Saudi Arabia, one of whom carried a previously unidentified disease-causing DDC gene mutation. “There is an urgent need to raise awareness and improve diagnostic testing for rare diseases such as AADC deficiency…

PTC Therapeutics has been named the winner of the 2023 Eurordis Black Pearl award for innovation in rare diseases, which each year recognizes one company that contributes significantly to the advancement of research and development. Among other achievements, Eurordis — fully, the European Organization for Rare Diseases —…

As the 118th U.S. Congress begins its work, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is showcasing the importance of engaging in health policy and what rare disease patient advocates can do to make their voices heard. The organization is the leading patient advocacy organization dedicated to improving the…

The national outcomes-based patient support organization Curant Health has joined rare360, a Rare Advocacy Movement (RAM) partnership program that seeks to connect, build up, and protect community-focused industry, academic, and advocacy stakeholders in rare disorders. “Being a partner with the Rare Advocacy Movement (RAM) and a registered…

Centogene and Premier Research are teaming up to promote patient identification and enrollment in rare disease clinical trials, with the ultimate goal to increase the chances the trials will succeed. The effort aims to accelerate treatment solutions for the 350 million rare disease patients around the world, including…

Medable, a technology platform for clinical trials, has partnered with the nonprofit Every Cure to speed the discovery of treatments for rare diseases — such as aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency — with the help of drug repurposing. The partners will focus on identifying new uses…

In marking the 40th year of the Orphan Drug Act (ODA) — used by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to spur treatment development for rare diseases — a life sciences industry coalition is calling on legislators and other policymakers to make a new commitment to finding therapies…

As U.S. lawmakers prepare to head home for the holidays, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) held out hope they would still act to ensure that people with rare diseases such as aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency get timely access to treatments and diagnostic tools. On…