SynaptixBio Ltd.’s Post

ANNOUNCEMENT: Over the next few weeks we will be posting on a range of topics around rare diseases - their causes, nature, impacts and treatments. The first post (below) is about the number and nature of rare diseases. The full list of topics we will post about is:   - Rare diseases – not a numbers game - What exactly is TUBB4A leukodystrophy? - What is gene silencing – and how does an antisense oligonucleotide work? - The nature and impacts of TUBB4A leukodystrophies - What are orphan drugs and what rules apply to them? - How are clinical trials organised and run? Rare Diseases – not a numbers game*   TUBB4A leukodystrophy is just one of a large and increasing number of recognised rare diseases.   Estimates vary, but the general consensus is that there are somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 worldwide.   Definitions vary too:   United States: 1 in less than 200,000 people European Union (including UK): 1 in less than 2,000 people.  Japan: 1 per 2,500 people. World Health Organization: 65 per 100,000 people.    However they are defined and counted, we can all agree they affect a small number of people - but because there are so many, today approximately 300 million people worldwide live with a rare disease.   What are the defining characteristics of rare diseases?   Around 80% of have a genetic cause, and almost 70% of those develop symptoms in childhood.   Sadly, given their generally life-limiting impact, only about 5% have approved treatments; equally sad is that the average time for an accurate diagnosis is 4-8 years.   Tragically, 30% of children with a rare disease die before age 5 years.   This is why we do what we do. *The figures quoted are from several sources: WHO/Orphanet, NORD and The Lancet, though multiple sources use figures in that range.

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