Seeing a child debilitated by illness is never easy.
When doctors tell youthere is nothing they nor you can do to help ease yourbaby's suffering, well, parents who know that type of helplessness often find it hard to describe.
We were told to take my son home and love him, becausehe probably wouldnt live past his second birthday, said Pace father Todd Hamrick. But, were way past that birthday now.
Hamricks son, Alek, was diagnosed at six months old with spinal muscular atrophy and not expected to live long enough to toddle. ButAlek, now 3, has beaten the odds and outlived that initial, bleak prognosis.
His parents attribute much of his success to his doctor, Richard Finkel, who entered Alek into a clinical trial for what they believe has been a wonder drug for their little boy, Evrysdi, which was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Whats hard to even get around is that people even bothered to research it, Todd Hamrick said. Its just a small amount of the population that has SMA. Its not like researching a blood pressure medication.
Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA,is a genetic disorder caused by a loss of nerve cells that effect human motor function.
Essentially, those afflicted by SMA are made weak. Their muscleswaste away. In many cases, eventually, a person loses their ability to walk, to eat andevento breathe, and they die.
Aleks mother, Iwona Hamrick, is a nurse at a local hospital and wellremembers the moment she heardher sons diagnosis.
It was unimaginable. His pregnancy was normal, she said. We did genetic testing and it was negative. Unfortunately, at that time, they were not screening for his disease. So, from a healthy baby to a dying baby, you know?
The parents felt they had to travel, in more ways than one, to find the places and help that they could for their Alek.
Todd Hamrick said that he and wife decided to move from Gulf Breeze to Pace after Aleks diagnosis after feeling ostracized by many of their former acquaintances. The parents felt like some people who they used to know were made uncomfortable by their son's illness.
The area is very in-the-dark when it comes to children with issues, Todd Hamrick said. If your kids are healthy and you'rehealthy, its a great area. But, it doesnt attract the greatest talent or best and biggest facilities or endowments.
So, Alek traveled with his family to meet his future doctor, Finkel, at the Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando.
Alekwas first treated with a gene therapy drug, and he made some response with that, Finkel told the News Journal. But more recently, he started on a second drug, which seems to be having an enhanced effect, I must say.
Finkel, an expert in the field of pediatric neurologic disorders, left Florida in March for a position leading the new Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Buthe has continued to monitor Aleks progress via video.
Both of the drugs he has received, the gene therapy and this new drug, Evrysdi, are designed to increase a certain protein in Aleks body that is deficient because of his genetic disorder, he explained. But they do it in different ways. The potential advantage of his new drug, Evrysdi because its an oral drug; you take it by mouth it goes into the stomach and into the bloodstream, and from there, it goes to all the tissues of the body.
And, we think that there is an enhanced effect, becauseit gets into the muscle tissue, Finkel continued. "These are very, very, early daysin trying to make assessments, soI dont want to say that we can come to any kind of conclusions yet."
However the cutting-edge drug works doesnt matter to a mother, whos just glad that it isworking.
It gave us hope. Thats for sure, Iwona Hamrick said. Becausewe felt helpless.
Since Alek started his new treatment last November, his strength has increased tremendously.
His muscle tone got better, Iwona Hamrick said. He is much stronger in the upper body, so much so, he is pushing his little wheelchair.
Alek can now cruise around his Pace home in an extraordinarily lite-weight wheelchair designed by a Swedish inventor who alsohas a child with SMA.
Alek had a lot of trouble before starting this medication even pushing it, Iwona Hamrick said. Sonowhe is just rolling around the house. Also, he is barring more weight on his legs.
Recently, Alek has started to be able to walk in a pool a huge milestone for the toddler.
But some worries remain the same.
Every day, Alek must use a type of breathing machine.
Its a cough assist machine, Todd Hamrick explained. We use it two times a day, when hes healthy. Becausewhere we can just clear our throats when we cough, he doesnt have that strength no lung strength.
Alek attends physical therapy, aqua-therapy,hippotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy sessions every week to try and ensure he remains healthy and continues to properly develop.
My worries have changed a lot, Todd Hamrick said. I used to worry my child was going to die. Now, Im worrying about if other kids will bully him at school.
"But that'sa great worry to have," he continued. "Compared to how it use to be, getting picked on is a great thing to worry about.
Colin Warren-Hicks can be reached at colinwarrenhicks@pnj.com or 850-435-8680.
Read or Share this story: https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/09/08/pace-florida-toddler-spinal-muscular-atrophy-helped-drug-evrysdi/5681766002/
- Dosing paused in Pfizer DMD gene therapy trial after patient death - Muscular Dystrophy News - May 14th, 2024
- Astellas CEO Q&A (Part 1): There Is No Playbook on Cell and Gene Therapies - MedCity News - May 14th, 2024
- Bluebird: Cells collected from 1st sickle cell patient having... - Sickle Cell Disease News - May 14th, 2024
- Regeneron Gene Therapy Reaches New Heights In Restoring Hearing - Scrip - May 14th, 2024
- Young participant in Pfizer's DMD gene therapy trial dies - Fierce Biotech - May 14th, 2024
- Boy Dosed with Pfizer DMD Gene Therapy Dies a Year after Phase II Trial - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News - May 14th, 2024
- Gene therapy trials treat inherited blindness and deafness - DW (English) - May 14th, 2024
- Deaf girl is cured in world first gene therapy trial - The Independent - May 14th, 2024
- beyond-the-lab-cell-and-gene-therapy - Drug Target Review - May 14th, 2024
- Child who was born deaf can now hear whispers and parents clapping for first time thanks to 'mind-blowing' gene therapy - New York Post - May 14th, 2024
- White Paper: Navigating the regulatory path of CRISPR-based therapeutics 13 May 2024 - SelectScience - May 14th, 2024
- Krystal Biotech touts topical gene therapy uptake, plots overseas launches - FiercePharma - May 14th, 2024
- Pharming uproots angioedema gene therapy collab with Orchard - Fierce Biotech - May 14th, 2024
- Deaf toddler playing piano and dancing after world-first gene therapy - The Telegraph - May 14th, 2024
- New gene therapy allows deaf child to hear DW 05/09/2024 - DW (English) - May 14th, 2024
- Our Mission at Voyager Therapeutics: Define the Future of Neurogenetic Medicines - BioSpace - May 14th, 2024
- Gene therapy provision would make life-saving treatment more accessible and equitable - Star Tribune - May 14th, 2024
- British girl's hearing restored in pioneering gene therapy trial - Sky News - May 14th, 2024
- ASGCT24: Translational Research Powering Potentially Transformative Therapies - BioSpace - May 14th, 2024
- Advancing Delivery of AAV Vector-Based Gene Therapies Using Bispecific Antibodies (ASGCT 2024) - BioPharm International - May 14th, 2024
- Krystal Biotech Inc (KRYS) Reports Strong Q4 and Full Year 2023 Financial Results - Yahoo Finance - February 27th, 2024
- New sickle cell gene therapies are a breakthrough, but solving how to pay their high prices is a struggle - CNBC - February 27th, 2024
- 10 gene therapy companies you should know about - Labiotech.eu - February 27th, 2024
- Former Penn employee sues Gene Therapy Program director, alleging 'unethical and illegal conduct' - The Daily Pennsylvanian - February 27th, 2024
- Gene therapy can't cure deafness because it doesn't need to be cured - The Philadelphia Inquirer - February 27th, 2024
- Fetal surgery expert Tippi MacKenzie shifts to in-utero gene therapy - STAT - February 27th, 2024
- Therapeutic Solutions International Files Patent on Facilitating Effects of JadiCells on Gene Therapy Mediated Cell ... - Business Wire - February 27th, 2024
- CU Anschutz Set to Launch Gene Therapy Trials for Heart Disorder - University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus - February 27th, 2024
- ICH targets cell and gene therapies, real-world data as topics ripe for harmonization - Regulatory Focus - February 27th, 2024
- Encoded Therapeutics Announces UK CTA Approval for Dravet Syndrome Gene Therapy Candidate ETX101 - Business Wire - February 27th, 2024
- Voyager Therapeutics Announces Selection of Gene Therapy Development Candidate for Friedreich's Ataxia in ... - GlobeNewswire - February 27th, 2024
- Therapeutic Solutions International Files Patent on Facilitating Effects of JadiCells on Gene Therapy Mediated Cell ... - The Bakersfield Californian - February 27th, 2024
- Ring Therapeutics, a Flagship gene therapy startup, lays off 20% of staff - STAT - February 27th, 2024
- Ed Silverman on new gene therapies, biosimilars, coffee, and more - STAT - STAT - February 27th, 2024
- Combatting HIV using gene therapy - Drug Target Review - February 27th, 2024
- NCDHHS working with federal government on increasing access to sickle cell disease treatment - WECT - February 27th, 2024
- Cell Therapy Weekly: FDA Approves First Cell Therapy For Solid Tumors - RegMedNet - February 27th, 2024
- Rejuvenate Bio Announces Gene Therapy-Mediated Partial Reprogramming Extends Lifespan and Reverses Age ... - Business Wire - February 27th, 2024
- New sickle cell therapy uses gene editing at MUSC | Health | postandcourier.com - The Post and Courier - February 27th, 2024
- Long-term and real-world safety and efficacy of retroviral gene therapy for adenosine deaminase deficiency - Nature.com - February 18th, 2024
- Gene therapy, blood transfusions, stool monitoring: The Sydneysiders trying to escape death - Sydney Morning Herald - February 18th, 2024
- Not too late to repair: gene therapy improves advanced heart failure in animal model - Baylor College of Medicine | BCM - February 18th, 2024
- Direct Administration of CRISPR-Cas9: Tools for Cell and Gene Therapy - Forbes - February 18th, 2024
- Gene therapy's promise seen in its success for AADC deficiency - AADC News - February 18th, 2024
- First Patient Randomized in AskBio Phase II Gene Therapy Trial for Congestive Heart Failure Treatment - Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology - February 18th, 2024
- FDA to review expanded use of Sarepta Duchenne gene therapy - Yahoo Finance - February 18th, 2024
- How gene therapy can help treat a rare blood disorder - KUTV 2News - February 18th, 2024
- CRISPR gene therapy Casgevy secures approval in Europe - Pharmaceutical Technology - February 18th, 2024
- FDA Updates for the Week of Feb. 12, 2024: New Approvals, an Extended Review and Goal Dates Set - Managed Healthcare Executive - February 18th, 2024
- First Patient Randomized in AskBio Phase II Gene Therapy Trial for Congestive Heart Failure - Business Wire - February 18th, 2024
- Lisa Jarvis: A cure for some kinds of hearing loss? Gene therapies are getting closer - St. Paul Pioneer Press - February 18th, 2024
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy Market: Navigating Therapeutic Advances towards USD 5.6 Billion by 2034, with a CAGR of ... - Yahoo Finance - February 18th, 2024
- Crispr Therapeutics' Gene Therapy Wins EU Approval - TipRanks.com - TipRanks - February 18th, 2024
- Revolutionizing Gene Therapy: A Novel Technique for In Vivo CAR T Cells - Medriva - February 18th, 2024
- How Stella Vnook is 'infusing innovation' into cell therapies with Likarda's technology - BioPharma-Reporter.com - February 18th, 2024
- Using cancer's 'superpower' to boost T-cell therapies in mice - FierceBiotech - February 18th, 2024
- Parkinson's Disease Patient Identification and Education Will Need to Improve When New Disease Modifying ... - Yahoo Finance - February 18th, 2024
- CRISPR (CRSP) to Report Q4 Earnings: What's in the Cards? - Yahoo Finance - February 18th, 2024
- Gene Therapy: A Ray of Hope for Heart Failure Treatment | Health News - Medriva - February 18th, 2024
- Gene therapy trials restore hearing to children born deaf - The Hill - February 2nd, 2024
- Early Trial Success for Inherited Deafness Gene-Therapy - RegMedNet - February 2nd, 2024
- Sickle cell gene therapy first focus of Medicaid pay model - Modern Healthcare - February 2nd, 2024
- Beyond chemotherapy: Navigating the promise and perils of CAR-T therapy in pediatric cancer - BioPharma-Reporter.com - February 2nd, 2024
- Angiodema: Gene therapy blocks painful hereditary disorder - BBC - February 2nd, 2024
- FDA: Genome editing therapies may use accelerated approval pathway - Regulatory Focus - February 2nd, 2024
- CRISPR tech treats severe hereditary condition successfully - Interesting Engineering - February 2nd, 2024
- Gene Therapy Restores Hearing in Small Trial for Kids With Hereditary Deafness - Technology Networks - February 2nd, 2024
- Gene-based therapy may slow development of life-threatening heart condition - Medical Xpress - February 2nd, 2024
- Jaguar Gene Therapy Announces FDA Clearance of IND to Study JAG201 in a Genetic Form of Autism Spectrum ... - Business Wire - February 2nd, 2024
- Replacing the PKP2 gene prolongs survival in ARVC patients - Drug Target Review - February 2nd, 2024
- Cell and gene therapies top pharmaceutical industry trend to watch for 2024 - Pharmaceutical Technology - February 2nd, 2024
- Gene Therapy Restores Hearing in Children with Hereditary Deafness - The Hearing Review - February 2nd, 2024
- 2 Dutch among 10 "functionally cured" of hereditary swelling disease by new gene therapy - NL Times - February 2nd, 2024
- FDA publishes final industry guidance for CAR-T and gene therapies - PMLiVE - February 2nd, 2024
- Gene therapy cures hereditary deafness in two people - Advanced Science News - February 2nd, 2024
- Hearing Restored in Deaf Children in Gene Therapy Clinical Trial - Securities.io - February 2nd, 2024
- Vivet Therapeutics Receive 4.9 Million to Advance Development of Gene Therapy - European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer - February 2nd, 2024
- Adverum Biotechnologies will Host Webcast to Review LUNA Phase 2 Preliminary Efficacy and Safety Results on ... - GlobeNewswire - February 2nd, 2024
- Allogene parks Notch CARs, leaving one on the road - FierceBiotech - February 2nd, 2024
- Experimental gene therapy allows kids with inherited deafness to hear - The Associated Press - January 25th, 2024