As Huntington's Disease Awareness Month Commences, A New Drug Offers Hope To Pre-Symptomatic Sufferers

Main Category: Huntingtons Disease
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 03 May 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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With May's Huntington's Disease Awareness Month as a backdrop, the Avicena Group, a California based biotech company, is set to launch a clinical trial for a new drug therapy, HD-02, with the ultimate aim of delaying the onset of this incurable, fatal disease. If successful, this compound would signal a significant advancement in the treatment of Huntington's disease and finally provide hope for 150,000 Americans who are carriers of the deadly Huntington's gene.

A genetic disease with no known cure, Huntington's disease attacks the central nervous system, causing uncontrolled movements, loss of intellectual abilities, and emotional disturbance. The eventual outcome is death.

Because of this devastating prognosis, available genetic testing poses a unique ethical dilemma. Should one test for a disease for which there are no known cures and no therapies to slow the disease's on-set?

"The potential for negative social, psychological, and financial consequences of finding out that one has the Huntington's gene has understandably led most at-risk individuals to forego genetic testing," says Dr. Steven Hersch, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, one of the lead investigators for this study.

"Patients who face a genetic risk for HD may or may not opt for genetic testing," said Dr. H. Diana Rosas, co-lead investigator. "As this is the first HD therapeutic trial to include normal healthy and pre-symptomatic individuals who are at risk for carrying the HD gene, the lessons we learn will be invaluable as we work to develop therapies to delay or prevent this disease in the real world patient population."

Dr. Hersch continued, "Given that there currently is no way to stop or reverse the course of this disease, it takes a lot of courage to opt for the test. If Avicena's HD-02 demonstrated that it can slow or halt the disease on-set, doctors and patients will have a proactive option."

An estimated 150,000 Americans carry the Huntington's gene and they will eventually develop the deadly disease. Approximately 35,000 people suffer from Huntington's disease.

The processes that cause HD begin many years before there are recognizable symptoms. While the age of onset and rate of disease progression vary, early symptoms of Huntington's disease include mood swings, depression, irritability and cognitive impairment. As the disease progresses, concentration on intellectual tasks becomes increasingly difficult and the patient may have difficulty swallowing and feeding oneself. Symptoms of Huntington's disease typically become noticeable in the mid 30s to mid 40s, with the life expectancy ranging from 10 to 25 years after the onset.

Avicena Group, Inc.
http://www.avicenagroup.com