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Genetic sequencing and the speed with which it can help diagnose a child’s disease — in addition to revealing the genes that cause at least half of the 7,000 rare diseases currently known — was the focus of a discussion by three top New York geneticists. The Feb. 28 conference,…

Increased brain levels of a protein involved in inflammation were found to suppress seizures in mice, a finding that may have potential for the treatment of types of epilepsy, including Dravet syndrome. The study, “Maintenance of the Innate Seizure Threshold by Cyclooxygenase-2 is Not Influenced by the…

When it comes to rare diseases, one that definitely makes the list is spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress — SMARD,  for short. Hunter Pageau, a 12-year-old boy from North Haven, Connecticut, is one of only 80 people in the world known to have SMARD, a motor neuron disease…

In his 10 months on the job, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is earning praise for his efforts to make clinical trials for new therapies more flexible and responsive to the needs of rare disease patients. From cystic fibrosis to epidermolysis bullosa, the FDA…

Caring for patients with Dravet syndrome places significant physical, emotional and time burdens on caregivers. Supportive services for Dravet families are necessary to improve not only the patients’ outcomes, but also to enhance caregivers’ quality of life, according to a recent survey. The study, “Assessing the impact of…

At a time of unprecedented polarization in Congress, two U.S. lawmakers — one Republican, one Democrat — are stressing the urgency of working across the aisle to help the estimated 30 million Americans with rare diseases. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-New Jersey) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) spoke to more…

Levetiracetam (marketed as Keppra), an anti-epileptic therapy, is significantly more effective than phenobarbital medication in infants with epilepsy, a recent study found, which could have implications for patients with Dravet syndrome. In the study, “Comparative Effectiveness of Levetiracetam vs Phenobarbital for Infantile Epilepsy,” published in JAMA Pediatrics, scientists…

Stiripentol combined with two other antiepileptic medicines seems to be an effective strategy to improve long-term seizure frequency in Dravet syndrome patients. The study that contains that finding, “Stiripentol efficacy and safety in Dravet syndrome: a 12-year observational study” was published in the journal Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.

Retrophin and the U.S. subsidiary of Britain’s Horizon Pharma will each donate $3 million over a six-year period to the Rare Disease Institute (RDI) at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C., helping it to strengthen care available and expand as a “center of excellence” for rare…

A database created at the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix alerts physicians about medications that can be harmful to epilepsy patients on ketogenic diets. The database identifies high-carbohydrate medications that are not recommended for people on ketogenic diets.