News

Boy Raises $3K for Gene Therapy Trial in Honor of Young Patient

When 11-year-old Connor Ridley heard about another boy named Connor who wants to get into a potentially life-changing clinical trial, he decided to help. The other boy, Connor Dobbyn, is 13 and was diagnosed in 2019 with Sanfilippo syndrome, a neurodegenerative disease that renders the body unable to break…

Are You Ready for World Sanfilippo Awareness Day?

From posting a photo of their child’s hand in theirs, to switching out their Facebook frame, supporters are poised to mark World Sanfilippo Awareness Day, observed each Nov. 16. The aim is to heighten awareness of Sanfilippo syndrome, a genetic disorder that leads to a form of childhood dementia,…

RARE-X, Global Genes to Help Collect Rare Disease Patient Data

In their continued efforts to improve health equity for people with rare diseases, Global Genes and RARE-X have joined forces to help advocacy groups collect patient data and make the most of that information. “Patient data is perhaps the most valuable asset rare disease communities can leverage to…

Genetic Sequencing Urged for Any Child With Developmental Delays

Any child who experiences developmental delay or intellectual disability by age 18 should undergo genetic sequencing as a first- or second-line diagnostic test, according to new guidelines published by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Such genetic sequencing also should be done for infants with congenital anomalies…

Global Genes, Diversity Coalition Team Up to Advance Health Equity

Global Genes has partnered with the Rare Disease Diversity Coalition (RDDC) to advance health equity for rare disease patients and caregivers in underrepresented communities of color. “For rare disease patients, there are many challenges — and for people of color with a rare disease, these challenges are compounded…

Rare Disease Diversity Coalition Awards $600K to Combat Disparities

The Rare Disease Diversity Coalition (RDDC) awarded $600,000 in grants to ease the disparities faced by rare disease patients of color. These Impact Rare Disease Solution grants will go five RDDC steering committee working groups, which aim to identify problems for rare disease communities and advocate for solutions. The five…