News

After unanimous votes by the boards of directors of both companies, AstraZeneca has announced it will acquire Alexion Pharmaceuticals. If the acquisition gets all needed regulatory clearances, as well as approvals by the shareholders of both companies, the deal is expected to be finalized in the third quarter…

The specific disease-causing mutations in a person with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) affect their individual risk of relapse after discontinuing treatment with Soliris (eculizumab), new research shows. aHUS is characterized by abnormal activity of the complement system, a group of immune proteins in the blood. Activation of…

The first wave of COVID-19 in Europe severely disrupted access to care and raised stress and anxiety in people with rare diseases, negatively affecting their health and well-being, according to a survey conducted by Eurordis-Rare Diseases Europe. “People living with rare diseases in Europe have found themselves caught as collateral…

The European Commission has approved a new intravenous formulation of Ultomiris (ravulizumab) to treat for adults and children with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) that allows the medication to be given in a shorter period of time. This formulation was also approved for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH),…

Leaders in the U.S. rare disease community came together recently for a webinar to present helpful information on how to start a nonprofit and patient registry. They shared about how their respective organizations came to be, as well as the benefits of creating patient registries and how they can help…

Ultomiris (ravulizumab) is expected to be more cost-effective than its predecessor Soliris (eculizumab) as a treatment for atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) in the U.S., a new study indicates. The study, “A US cost-minimization model comparing ravulizumab versus eculizumab for the treatment of atypical hemolytic…