Voyager Therapeutics issued a press release on Monday about their finances, recent leadership transitions, and importantly, a major shift in their scientific pipeline. The announcement centered around a proprietary technology called TRACER, which could allow Voyager to develop less invasive delivery methods (like IV injection) for HD gene therapies. Monday’s press release shared that Voyager will shift its focus to the new TRACER platform and away from older existing ones. This means that Voyager will no longer be pursuing VY-HTT01, a therapy developed for HD that was meant to be the focus of a safety trial involving a brain surgery later this year. The trial would have been called VYTAL, but no participants had yet been recruited.
Although the loss of a gene therapy that was approaching the clinic is a significant short-term setback, Voyager’s shift in focus now to accommodate a new scientific development provides a new and potentially better therapeutic avenue for HD.
Act Now to Pass the HD Parity Act: Kala Booth speaks out in the Morning Consult
After testifying before the Energy & Commerce House Subcommittee’s Hearing for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Kala Booth’s Op-Ed in the Morning Consult reflects on her HD journey and urges action from Congress. The HD Parity Act will waive the two-year Medicare waiting period and five-month benefit waiting period for individuals with HD to access Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Encourage your local representatives to become co-sponsors on the HD Parity Act (H.R. 2050 S. 868) today! To learn more about the HD Parity Act and how to get involved in securing these necessary changes for the HD community, click here.
Stay Tuned: National Nonprofit Day, HDSA & Me, and MORE!
Celebrate National Nonprofit Day by participating in a HDSA’s Day of Gratitude on August 17th!
As the summer begins to wind down and we slowly settle into fall, mark your calendars for the return of HDSA & Me, disability, and research webinars in September. HDSA & Me webinars will kick off on September 9th with an “Ask the Social Worker” panel on all things Long Term Care. Register here!
