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A rare disease puts an economic burden on the patients, families, and caregivers that it affects, and will no doubt be an integral part of discussions on Rare Disease Day 2022, which brings international awareness about the more than 300 million people living with rare disorders. Part of that…

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),…

The nonprofit RARE-X is creating an easily-accessible, centralized data hub for all rare disease patient data that can help researchers answer questions about existing disorders, discover new ones, and work toward finding treatments. It was spun out of the work that Nicole Boice, founder and chief engagement officer of…

It’s been nearly a year since the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases released its expansive report finding the total economic burden of rare disorders in the U.S. to be nearly $1 trillion.

Since 2008, Rare Disease Day — the last day of February — has brought together patients, caregivers, family members, friends, and advocates from around the world to raise awareness and improve equity for the more than 7,000 known rare diseases that affect more than 300 million people. In 2022, the…

Measuring the activity of a certain enzyme whose levels are low or absent in Fabry disease may be a useful newborn screening blood test for its diagnosis, a five-year study in Italy suggests. With the test, Fabry disease, which is more common among men than women, was found…

Fabry disease patients who have had a kidney transplant and are on immunosuppressive therapies may show a weaker response to a COVID-19 vaccine, including the booster, according to a study about two patients in France. While one patient had significant increases in antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that…

Idorsia will continue its open-label extension of the Phase 3 MODIFY trial to better determine if lucerastat, the company’s investigational oral therapy for Fabry disease, may be of benefit to patients’ kidneys and the heart. The decision comes despite the therapy having failed to outperform a placebo…

Note: This story was updated Jan. 17, 2022, to note that Avrobio is deprioritizing its Fabry program.   Avrobio is stopping its gene therapy program for Fabry disease in favor of clinical programs for other disorders, including cystinosis and Gaucher disease type 1. According to a company …

The Fabry International Network (FIN) is calling for global submissions for its annual FIN Award, which recognizes the efforts of patient organizations to educate and unify the Fabry disease community and to heighten awareness of the rare genetic lysosomal storage disorder. Projects must be initiated this year for…