Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

Marisa holds a Master of Science in cellular and molecular pathology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied novel genetic drivers of ovarian cancer. Her areas of expertise include cancer biology, immunology, and genetics, and she has worked as a science writing and communications intern for the Genetics Society of America.

Articles by Marisa Wexler

FDA update allows at-home gene therapy for all DEB patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an update to the prescribing information of Vyjuvek (beremagene geperpavec), a gene therapy gel for treating wounds in people with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), that allows its use in all patients and permits self-administration at home. The treatment was previously…

Center in California now offering Zevaskyn treatment for RDEB

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, a medical facility in the San Francisco Bay Area, has completed the requirements needed to become a qualified treatment center for Zevaskyn (prademagene zamikeracel), a gene therapy approved earlier this year for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), according to a press release. The…

FDA OKs pz-cel, now Zevaskyn, for adults, children with RDEB

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the cell-based gene therapy prademagene zamikeracel, previously pz-cel or EB-101, for treating wounds in adults and children with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). The therapy’s developer Abeona Therapeutics will market it under the brand name Zevaskyn. According to Abeona,…

AC-203 clinical trial enrollment starts for EBS patients

Note: This story was updated April 3, 2025, to correct that enrollment criteria in Europe differs from criteria at other sites. A Phase 2/3 clinical trial testing AC-203 (diacerein 1% ointment) in people with epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is recruiting participants. The trial, EBShield (NCT06073132), seeks to enroll…

Castle Creek gets $75M for DEB gene therapy Phase 3 trial

Castle Creek Biosciences has secured $75 million in financing to support a Phase 3 trial testing its gene therapy to promote wound healing in people with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). The royalty financing agreement for Castle Creek‘s treatment, D-Fi, was led by Ligand Pharmaceuticals, which made…

Pain common, but hard to manage, in RDEB: Study

Pain is a frequent problem for people with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), and available medications are often not sufficient to control it, a study reported. “Pain is an almost universal symptom across all types of RDEB,” the researchers wrote, noting that worse pain “generally correlates with worse quality…

Blocking enzyme shows promise as EBA treatment strategy

Treatment with SNT-6935, an experimental compound that acts to reduce the activity of an enzyme that breaks down proteins, reduced skin damage in a lab model of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA), a study showed. The study, “Granzyme B inhibition reduces autoantibody-induced dermal–epidermal separation in an ex…

New platform allows gene-edited stem cell therapies for DEB

Scientists have devised a new, more efficient method to create gene-edited stem cell therapies for dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). “Solving critical bottlenecks, we refine a practical and simplified … protocol for the generation of genetically corrected … skin grafts … for the long-term healing of DEB patient wounds,” the…