Marta Figueiredo, PhD, science writer —

Marta holds a biology degree, a master’s in evolutionary and developmental biology, and a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. She was awarded a research scholarship and a PhD scholarship, and her research focused on the role of several signaling pathways in thymus and parathyroid glands embryonic development. She also previously worked as an assistant professor of an annual one-week embryology course at the University of Lisbon’s Faculty of Medicine.

Articles by Marta Figueiredo

European Teens Report High Fabry Burden, Not Fully Lessened by ERT

The Fabry disease burden is variable but significant among adolescents and caregivers, affecting their quality of life and mental health, according to results of online surveys in three European countries. In addition, standard enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) was reported to reduce the disease’s burden, but not fully. These findings highlight…

Galafold Safe, Effective at Reducing Heart Damage: Real-life Study

Galafold (migalastat) is generally safe and significantly reduces disease-associated heart enlargement in Fabry disease patients carrying Galafold-amenable mutations, according to two-year data from a real-life, multicenter study in Germany. These benefits were generally similar between patients who had previously received standard enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and those who…

ERT Before Age 16 May Slow Classic Fabry Progression

Beginning enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) before age 16 is associated with reduced kidney and heart damage — relative to no treatment — in males with classic Fabry disease, according to a small study from the Netherlands. These early findings, concerning 10 years of treatment with Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta),…

AVR-RD-01 Gene Therapy Trial Now Open to Female Patients

Avrobio’s ongoing FAB-GT Phase 2 clinical trial, testing its experimental gene therapy AVR-RD-01 in adolescents and adults with Fabry disease, is now open to female patients. The protocol amendment, implemented in August, allows girls and women with Fabry to participate in the trial, even though their symptoms…