News

New Streaming Channel Showcases Rare Disease Films

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of a rare disease film festival originally slated for May, its organizers set out to find a new way to bring the films to an audience.  Co-founders Daniel DeFabio and Bo Bigelow, who are both fathers of children with…

Stem Cell Therapy VTA-110 Named FDA Orphan Drug for DMD Treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to Vita Therapeutics‘ VTA-110, a candidate therapy for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The designation grants various development incentives to medications that address rare disorders affecting fewer than 200,000 people annually in the…

Benitec Begins Early Study of BB-301 Gene Therapy for OPMD

Benitec Biopharma has begun the first study to support the start of clinical trials of BB-301, a potential gene therapy for people with oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). The BB-301 Tissue Transduction Study is the first of three studies to be conducted in large animals, with the overall…

Two Imaging Biomarkers Predict Walking Ability in DMD, Useful for Trials

Two magnetic resonance measures — MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) — of leg muscles are quality biomarkers that help to predict clinical milestones in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), including loss of walking ability, and may serve as outcomes measures in clinical trials, a natural history study reported. Its…

NS Pharma Opens Support Hub to Help DMD Patients Access Treatments

NS Pharma has launched a support hub, called NS Support, for people in the U.S. with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and their healthcare providers. NS Support will provide patients and clinicians with information on product availability and program enrollment. The hub can be reached by telephone at 833-677-8778, Monday…