News

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has opened a financial assistance program for people in rare disease community who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. Called the NORD COVID-19 Critical Relief Program, the effort will provide up to $1,000 annually to those eligible to…

A newly discovered mutation in the FKBP14 gene results in a misfolded protein that causes kyphoscoliotic Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (kEDS), a rare subtype of this orphan disease marked by a spinal curvature that causes a hunched appearance. Work on a molecular characterization of this mutation…

Because many members of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) community are overwhelmed and at home during the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Ehlers-Danlos Society is offering additional virtual support meetings, as it did in March. The free hour-long online events are opportunities for patients, their families, and caregivers to communicate with each…

First, the bad news: If you’re one of the 30 million or so Americans with a rare disease, you probably have lower immunity to the novel coronavirus than most people. Now, the good news: You already know how to face loneliness and adversity — qualities that make you far stronger…

The Living Rare, Living Stronger Patient and Family Forum, originally set for May 14–16 in Cleveland, Ohio, has been postponed until July 18–20 because of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic. The event’s sponsor, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), said it will still take place at the…

The Office of New Drugs (OND) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied an appeal from Acer Therapeutics regarding Edsivo (celiprolol), an investigational therapy for vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS). Further clinical studies will be needed before the investigational therapy can be resubmitted…

Even with the coronavirus pandemic ravaging Europe and much of the world, patient advocate Lucia Monaco, PhD, of Italy remains confident that the Paris-based nonprofit she chairs will see the approval of 1,000 new rare disease therapies by 2027. That group, the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) —…

The Ehlers-Danlos Society is offering a series of virtual events for community members to express concerns, ask questions, and address practical challenges during the global COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak. The free, hour-long digital support meetings will run on the Zoom teleconferencing platform. Each chat session is limited to 100 people,…

The number of treatments for children with rare diseases has grown over the past decade, according to a new study. However, despite the increase, nearly 7,000 rare diseases are still lacking treatment. And federal incentives to boost treatment development for these rare diseases have primarily focused not on creating new…

Adolescent girls with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) often experience menstrual symptoms, but few are referred to gynecologic care, a small study suggests. Researchers emphasized that teenagers with EDS should receive early gynecologic counseling and treatment, since these problems can severely impact their well-being. These data also highlighted that most girls with…