In my previous column, I shared that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the request submitted by my fellow advocates and me to host a patient listening session focused on people who are gene-positive for Huntington’s disease (HD), but have not yet developed symptoms. Our session is…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an orphan drug designation to SOM3355, an investigational treatment for chorea, or involuntary jerky movements, associated with Huntington’s disease, its developer SOM Biotech has announced. Orphan drug status helps to encourage the development of therapies for rare…
Behavioral changes due to early onset Huntington’s disease and problems with school, and social and family life are common, particularly among pediatric patients, according to a case series study in Germany. Socio-medical problems in these children were associated both with their own disease, and with the additional burden of parents…
Antidopaminergic medications are associated with lesser chorea and irritability in people with Huntington’s disease, but they may worsen their cognitive skills, data from the largest observational study of the disease show. Future, prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings, and to determine whether treatments to lower dopamine levels indeed…
Teva Pharmaceuticals’ Austedo (deutetrabenazine tablets) has been approved by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for treating chorea associated with Huntington’s disease and tardive dyskinesia…
Rexulti (brexpiprazole), an antipsychotic medicine approved for schizophrenia and in some cases depression, eases motor and psychiatric symptoms of Huntington’s disease, according to a case study. The study, “Effectiveness of Brexpiprazole in the Treatment in a Patient with Huntington’s Disease,” was published in the…
There may be no cure yet for Huntington’s disease, but patients — and their families — can still do plenty to extend their life expectancy through proper diet, exercise, and emotional support. That’s the message Norway’s Astri Arnesen wants to share with the world. Arnesen, president of the European…
Huntington’s disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in a gene called huntingtin (HTT). This gene contains a stretch of DNA that’s composed of repeats of the building blocks (nucleotides) C, A, and G (called CAG). In individuals with Huntington’s, these CAG repeats are longer than in healthy…
Gene silencing by RNA interference (RNAi) is a therapeutic approach for the treatment of Huntington’s disease that is currently in development. The goal of this strategy is to reduce the amount of abnormal huntingtin (HTT) protein being produced in cells. How RNAi therapy for Huntington’s disease…
Huntington’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, caused by inheritable mutations in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The mutation produces a toxic form of the HTT protein that aggregates in and ultimately kills nerve cells. This results in various symptoms, including movement, cognitive, and psychiatric problems. There is…
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