News

Patients With Neurotransmitter Disorders Report Anxiety Troubles

Anxiety and distractibility are among the most common problems reported by people living with AADC deficiency and other disorders that affect neurotransmitter production, according to a new study. Results also highlighted that children with these conditions often view their quality of life more favorably than their parents do. “A…

Gene Therapy PTC-AADC Provides Benefits for 5 Years in Children

The investigational gene therapy PTC-AADC (eladocagene exuparvovec) provides lasting and meaningful improvements in motor and cognitive function in children with aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency, updated results from three clinical trials show. The greatest improvements were observed in the youngest of the 26 treated children — none of…

New Tools May Help Assess Impact of Future AADC Therapies

Researchers have developed and validated new tools to help evaluate health-related quality of life, or HRQoL, in people with aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency. These tools can be used to assess the cost-effectiveness ratio of future treatments, according to the team. The study, “A Discrete…

Report Describes Sisters With Very Mild AADC Deficiency

Two sisters with unusually mild cases of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency were described in a recent report. “Our patients may show the most attenuated [mild] type of AADC deficiency. This indicates the importance of ruling out the possibility of AADC deficiency in patients who present with similar…

PTC-AADC Infusion Into Brain Shows Promise Against Symptoms

Delivering the investigational gene therapy PTC-AADC to a specific part of the brain, called the putamen, was found to significantly and effectively lessen motor and non-motor symptoms in children with aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency, a review-like study highlights. “Before this treatment, the children with AADC deficiency…

Global Genes, Diversity Coalition Team Up to Advance Health Equity

Global Genes has partnered with the Rare Disease Diversity Coalition (RDDC) to advance health equity for rare disease patients and caregivers in underrepresented communities of color. “For rare disease patients, there are many challenges — and for people of color with a rare disease, these challenges are compounded…

Take Part in AADC Deficiency Awareness Day 2021

To bring attention to the rare disease aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency, the second annual AADC Deficiency Awareness Day will be observed Friday, Oct. 22. The event is a collaboration among the AADC Family Network, PTC Therapeutics, MassBio (a Massachusetts-based healthcare nonprofit), and Boston Children’s Hospital. In…