News

As anyone affected by a rare disease knows, treating the illness while trying to go about everyday life is an expensive undertaking.  But exactly how expensive — in terms of direct and indirect costs across rare disease populations — might still come as a surprise: almost…

People with symptomatic acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) should be monitored regularly, as this disorder can affect their quality of life even if their attacks are infrequent. A recent study with that finding revealed evidence of significant chronic symptoms and long-term medical conditions among patients with sporadic AIP, as compared to…

A portrait of Morgan McKillop, a pre-teen who has erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) and is an active member of the American Porphyria Foundation (APF), has been chosen to be a part of an art gallery of faces representing rare diseases. McKillop’s image, which is done in muted tones and…

Soleo Health announced it will start to administer Givlaari (givosiran), an injectable treatment by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ for adults with acute hepatic porphyria (AHP). “We are once again expanding our portfolio of infusible and injectable specialty pharmaceuticals to elevate our levels of quality patient care and therapeutic service offerings.

A woman with the rarest type of porphyria, called congenital erythropoietic porphyria or CEP, was successfully treated by regular blood removal — a procedure called phlebotomy — which lowered her blood iron levels, reduced urinary porphyrins, and eliminated sun-sensitive skin blisters, a case study showed. …

Many diseases have their own awareness color — breast cancer is pink, muscular dystrophy is green, and AIDS is red, for example — but what’s the significance of pink, green, blue, and purple lights side-by-side? These are the colors most often used to represent Rare Disease Day. This…

Inherited, genetic late-onset erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a rare form of EPP that usually manifests later in life, should be included when considering a diagnosis of adults with generally mild skin itching and rashes in sun-exposed areas, a review study proposed. The study, “Inherited genetic late‐onset erythropoietic protoporphyria: A systematic…

Rapid and severe damage to peripheral nerves, those sending sensory and motor information from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body, can be a rare sign of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), a case report suggests. Early diagnosis of AIP is key in avoiding serious nerve…

Diagnosed with sickle cell disease as a 6-month-old, Tristan Lee has faced a lot of challenges over his 37 years of life. But from a young age, he also learned how to turn those trials into triumphs. At age 9, a stroke due to his disease left him paralyzed…

Rare Disease Day at NIH, organized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and taking place on March 1, will feature panel discussions, patient stories, research updates, TED-style talks, and a presentation by a Nobel laureate recently recognized for her work on a gene editing tool. The free, virtual…