Jessica Lynn has an educational background in writing and marketing. She firmly believes in the power of writing in amplifying voices, and looks forward to doing so for the rare disease community.
From March 19-22,the Society of Gynecological Oncology (SGO) held its 2021 Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer. Because of COVID-19, the event was held virtually. During the meeting, researchers presented…
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Data Shows Previously Treated Vulvar Cancer Responds Well to Pembrolizumab
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Could it be beneficial to harness a potentially devastating virus, such as Zika virus, for use in medical treatment? At first glance, this seems somewhat counterintuitive. Yet a news release…
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Zika Virus Destroyed Glioblastoma in Mice
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According to a press release from April 8, 2021, a partnership between Project ALS and the ALS Association has allowed for the development of a Phase 3 clinical trial. Two…
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Nonprofit Partnership Begins ION363 Clinical Trial for FUS-Mutated ALS
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It can take years for patients with rare diseases to get diagnoses and understand more about their conditions. But what if someone developed a new and efficient technology that could…
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Using Neural Networks to Increase SSc Diagnosis Efficacy
Every year, an estimated 3-7 children in Norway are born with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder characterized by an inability to break down phenylalanine. Researchers in Norway wanted to…
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Mice Models of PKU Share Surprising Disease Insights
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According to Healio, recently published data suggests that the incidence of scleritis lowered by around 34% over a 22-year period within the United Kingdom. Scleritis, which occurs when the sclera…
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From 1997-2018, Scleritis Lowered 34% in the UK, Study Shares
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Currently, multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune and neurological disorder, is considered either progressive or relapsing-remitting. But could there be additional subtypes? According to new research, yes. As explained in Medical…
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AI Used to Identify 3 MS Subtypes
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Each year, researchers make new strides into genetic research, including the discovery of new genetic disorders. According to Medical XPress, researchers from the University of Portsmouth and the University of…
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COPB1 Gene Mutations Cause New Pediatric Disease
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Could something that you're exposed to while still in the womb impact your health? Although it may not be something we think about often, the answer is yes. What we're…
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Could Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Cause Medulloblastoma?
Avery Allmond. Photographed by Jamie L. Photography
In life, we are faced with a variety of obstacles. But it is the choices we make in facing these obstacles which define ourselves and our legacies. For Avery Allmond,…
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Knowledge is Power: How Avery Allmond Harnessed her NMOSD Diagnosis for Good
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At the start of April 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Regeneron Pharmaceutical's Praluent (alirocumab), a treatment for patients aged 18+ with a rare genetic condition called…
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Praluent Now FDA-Approved for HoFH
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the novel coronavirus has led to 130 million diagnoses worldwide, with an associated 2.84 million deaths. While doctors and researchers are diligently working…
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Experimental Chagas Disease Treatment Could Prevent COVID-19
Each year, researchers make advances in the medical field which assist with the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with rare conditions. According to Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, one…
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Could a “Sweat Sticker” Help Patients with Cystic Fibrosis?
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Recently, the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara (CFSB) was given a $500,000 grant courtesy of the Dr. Howard R. Bierman and Anthony Granatelli Fund. Altogether, the fund is designed to…
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$500k Grant Given for Lynch Syndrome Education and Assessment Program
According to Yahoo Finance, immuno-oncology company Surface Oncology ("Surface") recently received Orphan Drug designation for its leading therapeutic candidate SRF617. Altogether, this therapy is designed to treat patients with pancreatic…
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SRF617 for Pancreatic Cancer Granted Orphan Drug Designation
In a recent press release, clinical stage biotech and biopharmaceutical company Biom Therapeutics ("Biom") shared that its drug candidate BIO017 was granted Orphan Drug designation. The treatment, designed for patients…
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BIO017 for Angelman Syndrome Granted Orphan Drug Status
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At the very end of March 2021, specialty pharmaceuticals company JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. ("JCR") shared that its investigational drug candidate JR-171 received Orphan Drug designation from the European Medicines…
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JR-171 for MPS I Receives EMA Orphan Drug Status
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Currently, there is no cure for Crohn's disease, and treatment options, like surgery, can sometimes be invasive. Additionally, treatments like anti-inflammatory drugs or nutritional supplements treat the symptoms, but not…
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AIEC Bacteria May Trigger Crohn’s Disease
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Lyme disease, and other tick-borne illnesses, can cause intense and prolonged symptoms. In fact, some patients experience chronic symptoms for a number of years following the initial bite. However,…
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NYC’s Cohen Center Established to Offer Dedicated Lyme Disease Treatment
Recently, the National Cancer Institute provided a $2.5M grant to support specialized medical research being performed at the Wake Forest Organoid Research Center (WFORCE). According to the press release,…
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Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center Receives $2.5M Grant for Organoid Research
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Sometimes it can be difficult to find or afford certain medications designed for your condition. However, this may soon be changing for Canadians with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). On March…
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CADTH Offers Zolgensma Recommendations for SMA
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On March 29, 2021, global biopharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb ("BMS") shared that its type II variation application for Opdivo (nivolumab) was validated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).…
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EMA Validates Opdivo Application for Urothelial Carcinoma
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In a recent press release, clinical-stage gene therapy company Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Rocket") shared that its investigational gene therapy candidate, RP-L201, received Priority Medicines (PRIME) designation from the European…
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RP-L201 for LAD-1 Receives PRIME Designation
Sourced from Adam Kemble for the interview.
When I sat down with 38-year-old Adam Kemble for our interview, there was one point that he really drove home: “You have the opportunity to choose what you let define…
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MS, Mavenclad, and Moving Forward: An Interview with Adam Kemble
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In a press release from early March 2021, radiopharmaceutical therapy company Molecular Targeting Technologies, Inc. ("MTTI") shared that the FDA approved its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for EBTATE.…
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FDA Approves EBTATE IND for Neuroendocrine Tumors