CureDuchenne and ZappRx Partner to Help DMD Patients More Easily Access Medications

The digital health firm ZappRx is working with CureDuchenne to provide faster and more efficient delivery of treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy to patients starting next year.

ZappRx streamlines the often-complicated processes involved in ordering specialty medications by collecting and storing required information from pharmacies, insurance companies and medical providers. Gathered information helps speed digital interactions in filling prescriptions, by lessening the need for faxes and phone calls.

“We are delighted to have a partner to help us support a disease where we can have a significant impact,” Zoe Barry, ZappRx founder and chief executive officer, said in a news release. “Together, we will be able to achieve our shared goal of improving the quality of life of patients living with rare diseases like Duchenne.”

The ZappRx platform will add Duchenne MD in 2019 to the diseases it now services, which include cystic fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cardiology, and gastroenterology.

Debra Miller, founder and chief executive officer of the non-profit CureDuchenne, said evolving technologies and new Duchenne therapies require a more cutting-edge delivery system.

“Having seen how ZappRx improved treatment access across pulmonary conditions, we are looking forward to partnering in our effort toward a similar impact for those with Duchenne,” she said.

CureDuchenne is recognized as a global leader in research, patient care, and innovation for improving and extending the lives of those with Duchenne.

The organization will present an affair, called “Dealing for Duchenne — San Antonio,” on Oct. 20 that aims to connect the San Antonio, Texas, community to a global network of families, caregivers, physicians, researchers and philanthropists. For more information on this and other CureDuchenne events, go here.

Nearly 15,000 boys in the United States are living with Duchenne. Worldwide, there are about 300,000 patients. Duchenne is the most common and severe form of muscular dystrophy, caused by the loss of the dystrophin gene. However, CureDuchenne said, gene-based therapies have emerged that include advances in the use of conventional gene replacement strategies, RNA-based technology, and pharmacological approaches.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Exondys 51 (eteplirsen), by Sarepta Therapeutics, in September 2016, making it the first treatment to target the underlying cause of DMD.