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LA Mayor's Office Acknowledges the NDF's Advocacy with GNEM

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Phase 2 of the Extension Clinical Trial of Sialic Acid - Extended Release Tablet Recruiting Participants

For those who are interested Ultragenyx has now  opened the extension of Phase 2 study or SA-ER. Seems like you have had to participate in Phase 2 to qualify for this study.  For those interested, please contact the  sites listed.

An Open Label Phase 2 Extension Study of(SA-ER)Tablet

This study is currently recruiting participants.
Verified July 2013 by Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc
Sponsor:
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT01830972
First received: April 10, 2013
Last updated: July 3, 2013
Last verified: July 2013
  Purpose
GNE myopathy or hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM) is a severe progressive metabolic myopathy caused by a defect in the biosynthetic pathway for sialic acid(SA). The purpose of the study is to measure long term safety and the effects of Sialic Acid-Extended Release (SA-ER) pills.


Condition Intervention Phase
GNE Myopathy
HIBM
Drug: SA-ER tabletsPhase 2

Study Type:Interventional
Study Design:Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title:An Open-label Phase 2 Extension Study to Evaluate the Long Term Safety and Efficacy of Sialic Acid-Extended Release (SA-ER) Tablets in Patients With GNE Myopathy or Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy


Further study details as provided by Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc:


Primary Outcome Measures:
  • Assess long-term safety of 6000 mg/day SA-ER in HIBM subjects [ Time Frame: approximately 3 years ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

Estimated Enrollment:45
Study Start Date:June 2013
Estimated Primary Completion Date:June 2016 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Arms Assigned Interventions
Experimental: open label, 6000 mg/day Drug: SA-ER tablets

Detailed Description:
GNE myopathy or hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM) is a severe progressive metabolic myopathy caused by a defect in the biosynthetic pathway for sialic acid (SA). Substrate replacement therapy is a potential therapeutic strategy based on the success of replacing missing SA and reducing muscle disease in a relevant mouse model of the human disease (Malicdan et al., 2009). Successful use of SA replacement therapy in humans is believed to depend upon providing steady long-term exposure to the compound in an extended release form (such as Sialic Acid-Extended Release [SA-ER]), given SA's short half-life. Following a Phase 1 study to establish the pharmacokinetics for SA-ER and an ongoing Phase 2 study to assess the pharmacodynamic effect of restoring sialylation of muscle by treatment over 48 weeks, Ultragenyx is conducting this study to evaluate the long term safety and efficacy of SA-ER treatment for up to 36 additional months.
  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years to 65 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   Yes
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
  • Enrollment in and successful completion of the UX001-CL201 protocol. Must be willing and able to provide written, signed informed consent after the nature of the study has been explained, and prior to any research-related procedures.
  • Must be willing and able to comply with all study procedures
  • Sexually active subjects must be willing to use an acceptable method of contraception while participating in the study.
  • Females of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test at Baseline and be willing to have additional pregnancy tests during the study.
  • Females considered not of childbearing potential include those who have been in menopause for at least two years, or have had tubal ligation at least one year prior to Baseline, or who have had total hysterectomy.
Exclusion Criteria:
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding at Baseline or planning to become pregnant (self or partner) at any time during the study
  • Use of any investigational product (other than SA-ER tablets) to treat HIBM
  • Ingestion of ManNAc or similar SA producing compounds
  • Has had any hypersensitivity to SA or its excipients that, in the judgment of the investigator, places the subject at increased risk for adverse effects
  • Have any co-morbid conditions, including unstable major organ-system disease(s) that in the opinion of the Investigator, places the subject at increased risk of complications, interferes with study participation or compliance, or confounds study objectives.
  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01830972


Locations
United States, California
UCLA Medical CenterRecruiting
Los Angeles, California, United States
Contact: Perry Shieh, MD     310-994-5142     pshieh@mednet.ucla.edu    
Principal Investigator: Perry Shieh, MD            
United States, New York
NYU Medical CenterRecruiting
New York, New York, United States, 10016
Contact: Heather Lau, MD     212-263-8344     Heather.Lau@nyumc.org    
Contact: Pankaj Patel     212-263-0139     pankaj.patel@nyumc.org    
Principal Investigator: Heather Lau, MD            
Israel
Hadassah Univeristy HospitalRecruiting
Jerusalem, Israel
Contact: Yoseph Caraco, MD     972-2-6778584     caraco@hadassah.org.il    
Principal Investigator: Yoseph Caraco, MD            

Sponsors and Collaborators
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc

  More Information

No publications provided

Responsible Party:Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT01830972     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers:UX001-CL202
Study First Received:April 10, 2013
Last Updated:July 3, 2013
Health Authority:United States: Food and Drug Administration

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on July 04, 2013
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01830972?term=hibm&rank=5

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Breaking News from Ultragenyx; the Company Conducting the Sailic Acid Trial for HIBM

Ultragenyx released their  preliminary findings for the Sialic Acid Extended Release tablet for phase 2 clinical trial.  I have been participating in this study and have just finished my one year on this medicine. I have my personal anecdotal findings , however here is what Ultragenyx have found and it is very encouraging to see that this medicine is showing some hope and improvement in muscle strength.  It is  stated in their News Release:  

"The data showed dose-dependent improvement in muscle strength relative to placebo in some muscle groups, particularly in the upper extremities at the 6-gram dose. These changes were statistically significant or trended towards significance, and were more pronounced in those patients that had greater walking ability at baseline, a predefined subset."

Here is a copy of their complete release.


Transforming good science into great medicine for rare genetic diseases
www.ultragenyx.com
Contact Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
For Investor inquiries, Shalini Sharp, Chief Financial Officer
415-483-8800
ssharp@ultragenyx.com
For Media inquiries, Susan Kinkead of Kinkead Communications
415-751-3611
skinkead@kinkeadcomm.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Ultragenyx Announces a Positive Signal in Interim Data from Phase 2 Study of UX001
in Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy
Study to continue to 48 weeks, followed by extension study testing higher dosage
Novato, CA—July 3, 2013—Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders, announced interim 24-week data from a 48-week Phase 2 clinical study of UX001 in 47 patients with hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM), a progressive muscle-wasting disease. The study compared treatment with a total daily dose of 6 grams or 3 grams of UX001 with placebo. UX001, an oral sialic acid extended-release (SA-ER) tablet, is designed to replace the deficient sialic acid substrate in patients with HIBM.
The data showed dose-dependent improvement in muscle strength relative to placebo in some muscle groups, particularly in the upper extremities at the 6-gram dose. These changes were statistically significant or trended towards significance, and were more pronounced in those patients that had greater walking ability at baseline, a predefined subset. Other clinical endpoints did not reveal changes at this interim assessment. Creatine kinase levels showed a trend to improvement in the 6-gram dose group compared with placebo. UX001 appeared to be well tolerated with no serious adverse events observed to date in either dose group.
“These early data suggest a modest dose-dependent improvement in muscle strength in HIBM patients treated with UX001 compared to a decline in placebo-treated patients,” said Emil Kakkis, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Ultragenyx. “We need to evaluate whether the observed treatment effect is sustained or increased over a longer 48-week period, and if higher dosing might further enhance the efficacy signal observed.”
The primary objective of the Phase 2 study is to evaluate safety, dose and potential pharmacodynamic effect of restoring sialylation of muscle in patients with a confirmed genetic mutation for HIBM. The study is also evaluating clinical measures of muscle strength, mobility, function, self-reported disability, and changes in quality of life. The study is taking place at four sites in the United States and Israel. Patients were randomized to receive placebo, 3 grams, or 6 grams per day of UX001, in three divided doses. At 24 weeks, placebo patients were randomized and crossed over into either of the two dose groups on a blinded basis. Patients will be evaluated again at 48 weeks,with final data anticipated around year-end. Following the 48-week analysis, the company plans to continue to treat these patients in an extension study with an increased dosage of UX001 based on the dose-dependence observed at week 24.

About Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy
Hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM) is also known as GNE myopathy,
Quadriceps Sparing Myopathy (QSM), Inclusion Body Myopathy type 2, Distal Myopathy
with Rimmed Vacuoles (DMRV) and Nonaka myopathy. HIBM is a severe, adult-onset,
progressive, genetic neuromuscular disease caused by a defect in the biosynthetic
pathway for sialic acid (SA). Patients with HIBM typically begin to have weakness and
abnormal walking at 18 to 30 years of age. The body’s failure to produce enough sialic
acid causes muscles to slowly waste away and can lead to very severe disability within
10 to 20 years of diagnosis, with patients often ending up wheelchair-bound within that
time. There is currently no approved therapy.
About Ultragenyx
Ultragenyx is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to
bringing to market life-transforming therapeutics for patients with rare and ultra-rare
metabolic genetic diseases. The company, founded in 2010, is rapidly building a diverse
portfolio of products addressing diseases for which the unmet medical need is high, the
biology for treatment is clear, and for which there are no effective treatments.
Ultragenyx has two products in Phase 2 clinical trials, UX001 for the treatment of
hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM), and UX007 for the treatment of fatty acid
oxidation disorders (FAOD). A third compound, UX003 for MPS 7 (Sly Syndrome), will
begin Phase 1/2 clinical trials later this year. The company is led by a management team
experienced in the development and commercialization of rare disease therapeutics.
Ultragenyx’ strategy is predicated upon time and cost-efficient drug development, with
the goal of delivering safe and effective therapies to patients with the utmost urgency.

For more information on Ultragenyx, please visit the company’s website at
www.ultragenyx.com.
http://www.ultragenyx.com/index.php?ht=a/GetDocumentAction/i/12770

Friday, June 7, 2013

Muscular Dystrophy Association is Partnering with French Muscle Disease Association to Advance Gene Therapy

Moving Toward 'Next-Generation' Gene Therapy

MDA partnered with a French muscle disease association to host a symposium on advancing gene therapy for neuromuscular diseases
Article Highlights:
  • Planning for the next generation of gene and stem cell therapies for muscle diseases is on the minds of scientists seeking to overcome challenges inherent in current “first-generation” approaches.
  • MDA partnered with the Association Française Contre Les Myopathies (French Association Against Myopathies) to host a May 16, 2013, symposium at which experts came together to share ideas about how to keep the field moving forward.
  • The symposium was held in Salt Lake City in conjunction with the 16th annual meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy.
by Amy Madsen on May 23, 2013 - 5:00am


Planning for the next generation of gene and stem cell therapies for muscular dystrophies — even as the first generation is still under development — was the theme of a joint symposium sponsored by MDA and the Association Française Contre les Myopathies (French Association Against Myopathies, or AFM) at the 16th annual meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT).
The MDA/AFM symposium was held May 16, 2013, in Salt Lake City, in conjunction with the May 15-18 ASGCT meeting. It was co-chaired by Charles A. Gersbach, an assistant professor at Duke University in Durham, N.C., and Kathryn Wagner a neurologist and neurogeneticist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. Gersbach’s research includes gene therapy, biomolecular and cellular engineering, regenerative medicine and synthetic biology; Wagner, a longtime and current MDA research grantee, studies muscle regeneration.

Limitations to current muscle gene therapy approaches

Finding effective methods of gene delivery to muscle tissue is one of the main challenges facing the field, noted symposium speaker Jeffrey Chamberlain, professor of neurology, medicine and biochemistry at the University of Washington, Seattle, and a longtime MDA grantee and member of MDA's Scientific Advisory Committee.
He explained that current approaches to gene therapy aim to deliver therapeutic genes directly to muscle fibers using the emptied-out shells of adeno-associated viruses (AAV) as delivery vehicles. (This is the approach being used to deliver micro- and mini-dystrophin genes in gene therapy strategies under development for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD.)
Two problems with AAV delivery are:
  • it's unable to accommodate very large genes (like dystrophin); and
  • it's not an efficient method for delivering genes to muscle satellite cells, which are muscle-specific stem cells.

New strategies in development

Symposium speakers discussed ideas specific to their own research, as well as more general concepts, including overcoming the delivery challenge.
Chamberlain reviewed recent developments in an alternative delivery approach involving a different type virus — a lentivirus — that may prove more effective at delivering genes to satellite cells, which are stem cells that are on their way to becoming muscle.
He noted that satellite cells can be obtained from patients, corrected using genes delivered in a lentiviral vehicle, and then introduced back into the body, where they may serve to permanently repair and replenish abnormal muscle with healthy muscle. Unfortunately, the efficiency of this method, which has been tested in mice, is low, but Chamberlain's lab and other labs are working to improve that.
Molecular geneticist Xiao Xiao, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, reviewed his lab's recent efforts at overcoming an important hurdle in gene therapy efforts: delivering sufficient numbers of therapeutic genes to all of the muscles that need them.
His lab currently is working on delivering genes to individual limbs by isolating the limb from the rest of the body with a tourniquet, while pumping therapeutic genes (encased in delivery vehicles) into a vein in the isolated limb. Xiao noted that the method has been demonstrated to be safe (using only a saline solution) in humans, and highly effective at gene delivery in large animal models.
At Généthon, a not-for-profit biotherapy lab funded by AFM in Evry, France, research scientist Anna Buj-Bello currently heads a translational program focused on investigating the potential for gene therapy to treat myotubular myopathy (MTM).
Buj-Bello presented updates about a collaboration with Martin Childers on an MDA-AFM-funded project to investigate gene therapy for MTM, in which the team is using a dog research model that has a naturally occurring form of the disease. (The dogs have a mutation in the myotubularin gene.)
Buj-Bello reported that therapeutic myotubularin genes encased in AAV delivery vehicles were delivered to the limbs of MTM dogs. The limbs had been isolated from the rest of the body via the use of a tourniquet. However, in at least one of the dogs, the tourniquet leaked and a systemic therapeutic effect was observed, including dramatically increased life span, and vastly improved muscle and respiratory function.
Fulvio Mavilio, an expert on gene therapy for rare diseases and director of Généthon, presented information about two gene therapy efforts under development for DMD, focusing in particular on an exon-skipping approach that has the potential to persist much longer in the body than exon-skipping strategies currently in testing.
Several current exon-skipping strategies would involve periodic and repeated injections of biological components called U7 splice site modulators. With the new method, genes that carry the instructions for building the modulators are injected (encased in AAV delivery vehicles) instead. Cells are able to use those instructions to synthesize the U7 splice site modulators. Because the replacement genes persist in the body over time, it’s unlikely that repeat treatments would be needed. A clinical trial to test the new method is expected to begin in late 2013 or early 2014.
For more information
To learn more about gene therapy advances, read:

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Online Career Fair for People With Disabilities


  
  
Stay Connected
 

Learn More 
 
To: MDA Community
From: MDA ---- Advocacy
Date: May 15, 2013

A great opportunity for all job seekers within the MDA community! Whether you are about to graduate, currently unemployed or seeking different career options, or if you're an individual with a disability, this online career fair may be for you.

Register for the next Think Beyond the Label Online Career Fair. There are four events this year and the next one is a week away ---- Tuesday, May 21 from 1-4 p.m. Eastern time!

Employers are registering now for this one-of-a-kind online career fair to recruit job seekers with disabilities nationwide.

This year's Think Beyond the Label Online Career Fairs, powered by Brazen Careerist, will connect you with businesses like Aetna, United Therapeutics, NextEra Energy, Grundfos Pumps, University of Southern California, University of North Carolina and Eastern Michigan University are actively recruiting qualified job candidates with disabilities ---- all without leaving your computer. It's a great event to meet and chat with businesses who are committed to building a diverse workforce.

What type of job seekers should attend this event?

action arrow People with disabilities who want to meet employers nationwide who are actively recruiting them.
People with disabilities of all skills level across the United States.

Participation is free but space is limited, so register today to be sure you don't miss this great opportunity!

Reserve Your Spot Today!

 mda.org/advocacy

Annie Kennedy
MDA Senior Vice President ----  Advocacy 

https://www.brazenconnect.com/event/thinkbeyondthelabel_may_21

Thursday, May 9, 2013

ARM/HRG Newsletter. Article on my Family's Journey in Getting Diagnosed with HIBM

Dear fellow patients and friends:
Here is a current newsletter from Advancement for Research Myopathies (ARM/HRG). There is an article on my family's journey towards getting a diagnosis.  There are other news in this edition and my hope and I am sure of all HIBM patients  is for us to be able to get a cure on the market as soon as possible.
Please refer to this link for the complete newsletter; the article on my family is on page 3.  





Thursday, April 18, 2013

MDA Conference in Washington D.C. to Focus on Neuro-muscular Therapy Development


Please refer to the link at the bottom of this page for the complete article.  It seems like they will address most neuromusclar disease except HIBM.  How can we influence them to include HIBM in their focus?


MDA is bringing together professionals from academia, industry, government and the nonprofit sector to discuss development of therapies for neuromuscular disorders.
Article Highlights:
  • MDA will host a scientific conference April 21-24, 2013, in Washington, D.C.
  • The conference will emphasize specific therapy development for neuromuscular disorders in a way that would not have been possible as recently as five years ago.
  • The conference, which is not open to the general public, brings together experts from different disease areas and with different types of expertise.
  • Blogs and other reports will be posted on the MDA website during and after the meeting.
by Margaret Wahl on April 18, 2013 - 10:03am

-A +A
The Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual conference being held in Washington, D.C., on April 21-24, 2013, is centered on the theme Therapy Development for Neuromuscular Diseases: Translating Hope into Promise.
"Five years ago, this meeting couldn’t have happened," said Jane Larkindale, MDA's vice president of research. "We couldn’t have filled two-and-a-half days with the kinds of presentations we have now. The agenda is packed with important talks discussing everything from early-stage therapeutic targets through to clinical trial results, along with sessions discussing the development of new tools that will allow us to conduct trials more effectively."
The conference is aimed at professionals and is not open to the public. However, blogs and reports will be available to all on the meeting website, both during and after the proceedings.
Nearly 500 attendees from academic laboratories, clinics and industry are expected, with more than 60 platform presentations and more than 200 poster presentations planned.
The goal, said Larkindale, is to “identify barriers to therapeutic development and how to overcome those barriers.”
Conference co-chairs are C. Frank Bennett, CEO of the biomedical company Isis Pharmaceuticals, and Eric Hoffman, director of the Research Center for Genetic Medicine at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

From targets to trials

Conference presentations have been organized into broad themes relating to therapy development.
Targets: These presentations will focus on identifying molecular targets at which to aim therapies in different disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), myotonic muscular dystrophy (MMD) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
Genetic modifiers: Presentations will explore naturally occurring gene variations that modify the course of diseases and can help explain an individual's disease course, as well as provide targets for therapeutic development, in disorders such as ALS, Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), SMA and MMD.
Therapeutic modalities: Presentations will focus on different types of compounds that have the potential to be developed into therapies, such as stem cells, proteins, small molecules and antisense, with particular application to ALS, one form of congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD), DMD and FSHD.
Biomarkers: Presentations will discuss the identification and use of biological indicators, including imaging studies, which may reflect the progress of a disease or its response to treatment, with particular application to ALS and DMD.
Animal models: Discussions will center on research animals that replicate the characteristics of various human neuromuscular diseases and how they can be used to study these diseases, with particular application to ALS, centronuclear myopathy (CNM), DMD, Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) and SMA.
Use of animal models in drug development: Presenters will explore how well animal models of human disorders can be used to develop drugs, with particular application to ALS, DMD FSHD, myotubular myopathy (MTM) and SMA.
Preclinical work for trial design and regulation: Designing laboratory studies that can serve as the foundation for human trials of investigational drugs will be focus of these talks.
Clinical trials: These presentations will include updates on trials of tirasemtiv in ALS; drisapersen and eteplirsen in DMD; cardiac treatments for DMD; RG2833 for Friedreich's ataxia (FA); and ISIS-SMNRx for SMA.
The latest and greatest: Discussions will include late-breaking research reports, with particular application to CNM, DMD, FA and mitochondrial myopathies.
Resources for drug development: Topics to be covered include working with the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), tissue banks, stem cells, databases, and computer chips, with particular application to ALS.





http://quest.mda.org/news/mda-scientific-conference-emphasize-therapy-development?utm_source=Research+Update+-+MDA+Scientific+Conference+-+All+Fam+-+4+18+13&utm_campaign=SC+-+All+Fam+4+18+13&utm_medium=email

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Extension Study for Phase 2 of Sialic Acid Tablet Announced Not Yet Recruiting

It's official that Ultragenyx will do  an extended study using Sialic Acid Extended Realease starting in June 2013 for the next 3 years. They plan to accept 45 patients.  Please refer to the link below.  Also, the National Institutes are still doing study on Natural History of patients with HIBM and they anre in Phase 1 trial of ManNac.  I would urge patients with HIBM to contact them.

 is not yet open for participant recruitment.

Verified April 2013 by Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc
Sponsor:
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT01830972
First received: April 10, 2013
Last updated: NA
Last verified: April 2013
History: No changes posted
  Purpose
GNE myopathy or hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM) is a severe progressive metabolic myopathy caused by a defect in the biosynthetic pathway for sialic acid(SA). The purpose of the study is to measure long term safety and the effects of Sialic Acid-Extended Release (SA-ER) pills.

ConditionInterventionPhase
GNE Myopathy
HIBM
Drug: SA-ER tabletsPhase 2

Study Type:Interventional
Study Design:Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title:An Open-label Phase 2 Extension Study to Evaluate the Long Term Safety and Efficacy of Sialic Acid-Extended Release (SA-ER) Tablets in Patients With GNE Myopathy or Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy

Resource links provided by NLM:


Further study details as provided by Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc:

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • Assess long-term safety of 6000 mg/day SA-ER in HIBM subjects [ Time Frame: approximately 3 years ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

Estimated Enrollment:45
Study Start Date:June 2013
Estimated Primary Completion Date:June 2016 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
ArmsAssigned Interventions
Experimental: open label, 6000 mg/dayDrug: SA-ER tablets





http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01830972?term=hibm&rank=5

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Los Angeles Marathon and Fund Raising for Gene Therapy Research

On the 17th. March I along with thousands were present in Los Angeles to cheer the marathon runners.  My son, a friend, and runners associated with Advancement for Research Myopathy ran in this race to increase the awareness  and raise funds for the research in gene therapy for HIBM.  A friend and I were at mile 17 to cheer the runners.  I felt quite energized to see people running something my legs are unable to do. I raised $ 1,910 via crowdrise to help with research.  Thanks to all who have contributed and those who would like could still contribute to this worthwhile cause on crowdrise.  Donations are tax deductible.  Here are some images from the event on ARM's face book page.
A few of the runners, Andrew, Sandra and Bryan, who began running for HIBM early this morning. Donate and Support today! @ www.crowdrise.com/runforhibm

https://www.facebook.com/#!/curehibm?fref=ts
    p.s. for patients who would like to join a  private group of others with HIBM, there is a group on facebook that is private and patients share their experiences etc., please contact me if you would like to become part of the group.

    Sunday, March 3, 2013

    Dr. Kakkis Attempts to get Big Drug Companies Involved With Rare Diseases

    This is an article about Dr. Kakkis who is the CEO of Ultragenyx, the bio-pharma company that is conducting the clinical trial for HIBM with Sialic Acid.  There is hope that this medicine will stop the progression and help re-energized the muscles.
    p.s. please check my previous post and donate if you can to the cause I doing a fund raising.  Your donation is tax deductible and will help the ARM/HIBM organisation to further gene therapy for HIBM.


    Man with a plan: Emil Kakkis aims to lure big-market drugs toward rare diseases

    Emil Kakkis: "It's so easy for them to do."

    Reporter- San Francisco Business Times
    Email | Biotech tweets | Google+ | Education tweets
    Emil Kakkis is making another run at rare diseases.
    The president and CEO of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. and former chief medical officer at BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. is laying out a new strategy Tuesday to get more drugs into children with rare diseases. Under the banner of the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases, which Kakkis founded and has largely bankrolled, he is proposing that companies with already-approved, big-market drugs be rewarded with a two-month extension of that drug’s patent life if it wins a new Food and Drug Administration-approved label in an orphan disease.
    “What if every, single blockbuster cancer drug had three or four pediatric indications in development to gain patent extensions for the whole franchise?” Kakkis wrote in an email.
    It isn’t just random wondering for Kakkis, who at UCLA co-discovered a treatment for the lysosomal storage disease MPS and followed the drug to San Rafael-based BioMarin (NASDAQ: BMRN). He left BioMarin a dozen years later to start Ultragenyx, which has raised more than $120 million over the past two years and will complete three Phase II studies in rare diseases this year.
    Kakkis’ plan makes sense for drug makers, he said, because those companies already have expertise in the drugs, can move development along quickly and can be rewarded with an important extra few months of no-competition sales of the drug for its main use.
    “It’s so easy for them to do, and the value is so significant,” Kakkis said in an interview. “It’s an efficient way to generate real improvement. There’s no new manufacturing process or toxicology process or trying to figure out the indication.”
    For patients, Kakkis estimates that research into hundreds of patented drugs will be reopened for uses in rare diseases. What’s more, the drugs likely would cost less than the $200,000-and-up price of many of today’s start-from-scratch rare disease treatments, because much of the safety and toxicology work will have already been done.
    And for Kakkis’ Novato company? Nothing.
    “I’m trying to do the right things,” Kakkis said. “It doesn’t solve all rare diseases. It solves some of them that can use a common drug.”
    It’s no accident that Kakkis is laying out his plan around Rare Disease Day, which is Thursday, and this week's Rare Disease Legislative Advocates conference in Washington, D.C. Some 150 advocates are expected to visit their elected leaders on Capitol Hill, compared to 70 last year.
    “The rare disease lobby is getting stronger and more vocal,” Kakkis said.
    Indeed, patients, caregivers, doctors and researchers made their voices heard in FDASIA, last year’s legislation that laid out the fee structure for seeking approval of their drugs. The legislation established a new Office of Drug Evaluation, specifically for biochemical and genetic diseases, and created new criteria that could accelerate approvals for rare disease treatments.
    Still, it’s not enough, said Kakkis, who recently committed $400,000 of his own money to the EveryLife Foundation.
    Kakkis is laying out his plan as a 2.0 version of the “Cure the Process” campaign that was launched in spring 2009. Along with patent extensions, he wants to “rationalize” safety testing, aligning U.S. guidelines with those in Europe. The EveryLife Foundation also is writing up its version of accelerated approval guidelines that it hopes the FDA will adopt.
    “The people who do the work win,” Kakkis told supporters at a fundraiser before last month’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. “Patients need it. We all need it.”
    Ron Leuty covers biotech, higher education and China for the San Francisco Business Times.