News

Focusing on the journey for Huntington’s Awareness Month

The emphasis of this year’s Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month, celebrated each May, is on the patient journey. Also, International Huntington’s Disease Awareness Day is May 15. Huntington’s disease, or HD for short, is a progressive neurodegenerative condition believed to impact 4.9 per 100,000 people globally, including some…

FDA names AMT-130 a Huntington’s breakthrough therapy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated uniQure’s gene therapy candidate AMT-130 a breakthrough therapy for its potential to slow the progression of Huntington’s disease, according to the developer. This status is intended to speed the development and review of medications for serious or life-threatening illnesses…

Data on medicines for Huntington’s psychiatric symptoms lacking

Mental health problems are common in Huntington’s disease, but there isn’t much data on patients’ use of psychiatric medications, a review study reports. “Although [neuropsychiatric problems] in [Huntington’s disease] are common, hardly any clinical trials have addressed their treatment,” the study’s researchers wrote. “As a result, evidence that…

Wave planning potentially pivotal trial of WVE-003 in patients

Wave Life Sciences is making plans to launch a potentially pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trial in the U.S. to test its therapy candidate WVE-003 in people with Huntington’s disease. Pivotal trials are those whose data, if positive, are meant to be used to support applications seeking a treatment’s…

LETI-101 lowers mutant HTT protein in preclinical models

LETI-101, an experimental gene-editing therapy for Huntington’s disease, showed promising proof-of-concept effects in mouse and cell models by reducing levels of the disease-causing mutant huntingtin (HTT) protein, while preserving HTT’s healthy version. In nonhuman primates, the therapy showed good safety and distribution across brain regions profoundly impacted by Huntington’s. The…