Join us TODAY for the Virtual 36th Annual HDSA Convention of four days full of meet-and-greets, presentations, Q&A’s, support groups, and more. If you’re not already registered, sign up free here, and keep reading for a preview of our research presentations line-up below. All sessions are scheduled in Eastern time.
FRIDAY, JUNE 11
Roche and Genentech Update and Q&A on Generation HD-1, 10:00 AM: Roche and Genentech will present a community update with Q&A on the Generation-HD 1 (tominersen) trial.
Wave Life Sciences and Azevan Pharmaceuticals HD Clinical Trial Results, 12:15PM: Wave Life Sciences will present results from the PRECISION-HD clinical trials in early manifest HD, and Azevan Pharmaceuticals will speak about progress and prospects of developing SRX246 for irritability and aggression in HD.
Ask the Scientist Anything, 2:00 PM: HD Buzz editors, Drs. Ed Wild, Jeff Carroll, and Rachel Harding, will participate in a live Q&A session to discuss all things HD research with the community.
Demystifying Neurosurgical Approaches Required for Delivery of Gene Therapies to the Brain, 3:45 PM: Dr. Andres M Lozano will cover the neurosurgical approaches for the delivery of therapeutic molecules to the brain in patients with HD, and briefly discuss surgical trials involving cell transplantation and deep brain stimulation.
SATURDAY, JUNE 12
HDSA Research Update and Welcome, 11:00 AM: Dr. George Yohrling kicks off Saturday’s research showcase.
HD Research Year in Review, 11:20AM: Drs. Ed Wild and Jeff Carroll will summarize the state of HD research today and summarize the year’s most critical findings.
Clinical Trials Showcase Part 1, 1:00PM: Dr. David Cooper from uniQure will provide updates on AMT-130, and Wave Life Sciences’ Dr. Vissia Viglietta will discuss SELECT-HD, a newly initiated clinical trial evaluating WVE-003 for selective mHTT lowering.
Clinical Trials Showcase Part 2, 2:30 PM: The second installment of this year’s clinical trials showcase will include updates from Dr. Erin Furr-Stimming on KINECT-HD, a study of Neurocrine Biosciences’ valbenazine, Dr. Lahar Metha on Annexon Biosciences’ ANX005 and stopping complement mediated diseases at the start, and, finally, from Dr. Andy Feigin on the background, rationale, study design, and status of the PROOF-HD trial of pridopidine on functional status in individuals with HD.
The Story of the Serendipitous Identification of a new Huntingtin Lowering Drug—Branaplam, 4:00 PM: Join Drs. Jang-Ho Cha, Beth Borowsky, and Rajeev Sivasankaran for a discussion on branaplam, an oral, small molecule drug that lowers HTT levels. The presentation will include the story of the discovery of branaplam, how it works, and how it might be beneficial to people affected by Huntington’s disease.
SUNDAY, JUNE 13
Insights into Huntington’s Disease Chorea, 10:00 AM: During this Teva sponsored presentation, convention attendees will learn about a treatment for HD chorea. The presentation will feature neurologist and director of the Northwestern Huntington’s disease and Wilson’s disease clinics, Dr. Danny Bega, along with HDSA’s Connecticut chapter president, Sue McGann, and her husband, James McGann, who will share their personal experiences with HD chorea.
Novel HD Therapies in the Pipeline, 12:15 PM: Join pharmaceutical leaders Dr Daniel Curtis from Atlanta Therapeutics, and Dr. Ron Batra and Micah Mackison from LocanaBio for a conversation on exciting new developments in the HD Therapeutics pipeline.
HDSA-supported scientists: Advancing huntingtin-targeted therapies for Huntington’s disease, 2:00 PM: In this workshop, two researchers supported by the Berman-Topper HD Career Development Fellowship, Dr. Nicholas Caron (University of British Columbia) and Dr. Yasaman Gholamalipour (UMass Medical School), will speak about their work towards the development of novel HD therapies and how collaborative efforts among young HD scientists are driving the field forwards.
