News

Canadian patients who have recurrent attacks of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) can now be treated with Recordati Rare Diseases Canada’ injectable hemin formulation, Panhematin. Health Canada has approved the use of Panhematin to reduce the production and buildup of toxic compounds in the body induced by…

Results from a Phase 1 study and an open-label extension (OLE) trial have demonstrated that  givosiran can effectively reduce attack rates and the use of hemin in patients with acute hepatic porphyria. The latest results of these clinical studies were recently discussed at The Liver Meeting 2018…

Three patients with multiple fat deposits in the liver caused by alcohol abuse were diagnosed with chronic hepatic porphyria (CHP), a case report describes. In all three cases, a highly sensitive imaging technique called contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was useful in confirming a diagnosis. The report, “Multinodular…

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, after consulting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, plans to pursue full approval of its lead therapy candidate, givosiran, for the treatment of acute hepatic porphyria (AHP), rather than accelerated approval. The full approval will be based on the complete results of the ongoing…

Half a year has gone by since disgraced pharma executive Martin Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for securities and wire fraud while heading San Diego-based Retrophin. As founder and CEO of another company (then known as Turing Pharmaceuticals), in late 2015 Shkreli bought the rights…

Interim data from the ENVISION Phase 3 trial (NCT03338816) revealed Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ lead candidate, givosiran, can effectively reduce the levels of a key biomarker of acute hepatic porphyria compared to a placebo. As of Aug. 22, 2018, approximately 46% of the participants (43/94) had completed at least three months…

More than 700 medical experts, pharmaceutical executives, patient advocates, and others are expected to converge on Washington, D.C., next month for the 2018 NORD Rare Diseases & Orphan Products Breakthrough Summit. The Oct. 15-16 event, sponsored by the National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD), takes place at the…

The approved antifungal Ciclopirox is a potential therapy to stabilize and enhance the function of the uroporphyrinogen III synthase, the enzyme whose defective activity causes congenital erythropoietic porphyria (CEP). This is one example of how therapies already approved for one disorder can be repurposed for other diseases. The study, “…

Patients with abdominal pain, seizures and brain imaging indication of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) could have acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), according to two new case reports and a literature review. The study, “Acute intermittent porphyria presenting with seizures and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: Two case reports and…

Although progress has been made, more research is needed to develop effective therapeutic options for cutaneous porphyria, researchers said in a recent editorial, highlighting the latest advancements in the understanding of the disease, as well as possible pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. The editorial, “Shedding light on…