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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released draft guidelines for the design of clinical trials evaluating investigational therapies in people with Sanfilippo syndrome. “There are no approved therapies to treat this disease and we hope that this guidance will foster greater efficiency and consistency among [therapy] development programs,…

The gleaming new Dutch headquarters of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), fronting Domenico Scarlattilaan in Amsterdam’s suburban Zuidas business district, finally opened for business last month — just over two years after the European Union decided to relocate the EMA to the Netherlands in the wake of Brexit.

Seelos Therapeutics announced it will meet with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in March to seek scientific advice and assistance for a European clinical study of SLS-005 (trehalose) in patients with Sanfilippo syndrome…

SOBI003, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (Sobi)’s chemically modified version of sulfamidase — the missing enzyme in Sanfilippo syndrome type A — is superior to its original version at reaching and persisting in the brain, a study in rats suggests. These findings further support the already ongoing…

Researchers have developed two induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines with NAGLU mutations — the underlying cause of Sanfilippo syndrome type B — using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. Since iPSCs have the potential to generate virtually any other cell, including nerve cells, they can be used…

Lysogene’s gene therapy candidate LYS-SAF302 corrected enzymatic deficiency, normalized heparan sulfate levels, and reduced brain lesions and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of Sanfilippo syndrome type A. LYS-SAF302’s use was also seen to efficiently and broadly increase the activity of sulfamidase — the enzyme lacking in Sanfilippo…

The accumulation of heparan sulfate in Sanfilippo syndrome type B can alter sulfur metabolism in the body, which seems to be sex- and organ-specific, a mouse study suggests. The study, “Effect of glycosaminoglycans accumulation on the non-oxidative sulfur metabolism in mouse model of Sanfilippo syndrome, type…

Gene therapy has the potential to effectively target the underlying cause of Sanfilippo syndrome and delay or prevent neurodegeneration, according to a review study. Data from ongoing and future clinical trials are expected to help determine the most effective delivery strategies with the fewest associated risks. These novel approaches…

With so much recent publicity surrounding gene therapy, it’s no surprise that the topic was a major focus of the recent 2019 NORD Rare Diseases & Orphan Products Breakthrough Summit. From diagnosis and clinical trial design to manufacturing, pricing strategies, and ethical concerns, gene therapy — both its high…

Despite skyrocketing healthcare costs, President Trump is committed to protecting the 30 million or so Americans with rare diseases and ensuring timely, affordable access to lifesaving treatments, the nation’s highest-ranking health official said. “We have to think about how our financing system can protect those with serious and rare illnesses.