Summary
- May Awareness: Mental Health and HD
- Upcoming HDF Research Webinar: Does Huntington’s Disease affect sleep?
- Annexon to launch Ph 2/3 trial of ANX005 in 2023
May Awareness: Mental Health and HD
May is Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month, and HDSA needs your help to turn up the volume on HD! #LetsTalkAboutHD is a social media initiative during Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month in May to encourage families to share their experiences with HD. All stories are welcome – research included! Learn more here.
While we raise awareness for HD in our communities, it’s important to also remember that May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Conversations about mental health and HD go hand-in-hand; the complex nature of Huntington’s disease brings difficult experiences to those it affects. While onset may look different amongst HD-positive individuals, mental health and psychiatric symptoms pose ongoing challenges for people with the disease.
Support needs for the HD community are not limited to individuals with HD. The unique experiences of care partners, individuals at-risk for HD, gene-negative family members, and loved ones of people with HD are important parts of the conversation around mental health in HD, too. While we await treatments and cures to change the trajectory of HD, it’s important that all members of the HD community are supported in their journey with the disease. Learn more about HDSA’s support services on our website, find a social worker near you here, or access HDSA’s free TeleHealth counseling services here.
Upcoming HDF Research Webinar: Does Huntington’s Disease affect sleep?
On Tuesday, May 16th, at 12 PM ET, the Hereditary Disease Foundation will host Dr. Jenny Morton and HDSA Center of Excellence Director, Dr. Diana Rosas, for a research webinar exploring how sleep is impacted by Huntington’s disease. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A opportunity for participants. Register to join here.
Annexon to launch Phase 2/3 trial of ANX005 in 2023
In a first quarter financial update that went out earlier this week, Annexon confirmed their intention to launch a Phase 2/3 trial of ANX005 for treatment of HD in 2023. ANX005 is an antibody administered via IV with the goal of preserving synapses, the connections between brain cells. It does this by blocking a part of the immune system that becomes overactive in HD, known as the classical complement pathway. Different people have different levels of activity in their classical complement pathways. In an earlier Phase 2 trial for the drug, Annexon found that participants with higher complement activity at the start of the trial saw greater benefit from the drug. The Phase 2/3 trial will look to confirm this, while also exploring potential benefits for people with lower complement activity. They have designed trials like this in the past. To read this week’s financial update, click here. To read more about ANX005, click here, or visit HDSA’s Research pipeline page.
