News

While there are few silver linings to the cloud created by COVID-19, the pandemic that has killed tens of thousands, hobbled economies worldwide and drove millions to quarantine in their homes, one may be a new appreciation of telemedicine. “If something good could come out of this crisis, it’s that…

People with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) report a fairly average health-related quality of life (HRQoL) overall, but they seem to have poorer general health and more issues with work and other activities due to emotional problems than the general population in the U.S., a study in patients in Norway…

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…

Vision loss in both eyes can be a sign of acute porphyria in children when associated with unexplained abdominal pain, a case report suggests. Proper treatment can also successfully reverse this vision loss, according to the report, which was titled “Bilateral reversible visual loss secondary to…

People with acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) are more likely to file for long-term sick leave and disability pension, but are not at more risk of premature death than the general population, a nationwide study from Norway found. The study, “Sick leave, disability, and mortality in acute…

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals is not expecting the production and supply of Givlaari (givosiran), a treatment for acute hepatic porphyria (AHP), to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said. Besides Givlaari, Alnylam also markets Onpattro (patisiran), which is approved in the U.S. for treating …

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),…

Physicians solved a case of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) — with blistering lesions on the patient’s arms, neck and face — by treating an underlying infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), according to a new report. The case was described in the study, “…

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) —…