News

EB Research Partnership raises more than $5M in October

EB Research Partnership (EBRP), an organization dedicated to funding research into treatments for epidermolysis bullosa (EB), has raised more than $5 million through a three-day series of events in October. The outcome is “beyond what we could have ever imagined,” Michael Hund, CEO of EBRP, said in a…

Inflammation in RDEB may favor skin cancer growth: Mouse study

Inflammation occurring early in the course of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) may create conditions for the disease to progress and for cancer to grow in the skin, a mouse study suggests. Although further studies are necessary, the findings “underscore the essential role of inflammation in RDEB pathophysiology [disease]…

Healiva and C4U to team up on new gene editing therapy for EB

Healiva and C4U will collaborate to develop a next-generation gene editing therapy — focusing on new technology to correct gene mutations — for epidermolysis bullosa (EB) patients, who are sometimes known as butterfly children for their fragile skin. Combining C4U’s expertise in gene editing technology and Healiva’s…

Dupilumab effective for DEB pruriginosa in 22-year-old: Report

A young woman whose dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) pruriginosa was caused by a newly identified gene mutation responded well to treatment with dupilumab, a medication that relieves itching, researchers in China report. Dupilumab, approved as Dupixent for several other diseases, is given as a subcutaneous or under-the-skin…

Rigosertib shows promise in trial for RDEB patients with advanced SCC

Rigosertib may hold promise for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) associated with advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), with two patients achieving complete treatment responses in the skin, according to initial clinical trial data. The findings were presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) annual congress,…

debra of America launches registry to better understand EB

A new registry for those with epidermolysis bullosa (EB) and their families, from the patient advocacy organization debra of America, is aiming to help both them and scientists to better understand this group of rare skin disorders. The ultimate goal, according to the nonprofit, is to develop new…

Abeona seeks FDA approval for EB-101 cell therapy for RDEB

Abeona Therapeutics is seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for EB-101, an investigational cell therapy for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). The biologics license application (BLA) submitted by the company was filed along with a request for priority review, which, if granted, would shorten the…

Eddie Vedder lends his support to 1st Venture Into Cures Summit

Eddie Vedder of the rock band Pearl Jam will perform two concerts to support EB Research Partnership (EBRP) following its inaugural Venture Into Cures Summit and Dinner, set for Oct. 22 in Seattle, Washington. The organization funds research into treatments for epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a group of…

Itch is common in RDEB; available treatments don’t help much

Itch is a common symptom with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) and available treatments are generally inadequate for managing it. That’s according to “Itch in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: findings of PEBLES, a prospective register study,” published in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. “The…

Abeona poised to seek FDA approval of EB-101

Abeona Therapeutics is preparing to request U.S. approval of EB-101, a cell therapy candidate for treating recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). The announcement follows a successful pre-biologics license application (BLA) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “With the constructive feedback from the FDA now in-hand,…