Clinical trialUNITERAREApr 15
Researchers are looking for pregnant women with NMOSD (a rare disease that affects the nerves in the eyes and spinal cord) who have taken or are taking a medicine called UPLIZNA to join a safety study. The study will track what happens to these women and their babies to make sure the medicine is safe during pregnancy. This information will help doctors understand whether UPLIZNA can be used safely by pregnant patients with NMOSD.
WHY IT MATTERSThis trial is recruiting pregnant women with NMOSD who have been exposed to UPLIZNA — currently there is limited safety data on this drug during pregnancy, so this study directly addresses a critical gap for women of childbearing age managing this serious neurological condition.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSApr 14
Researchers are testing a new medicine called pozelimab in young children ages 1 to 5 who have CHAPLE disease, a rare inherited condition that affects the stomach, intestines, heart, and blood vessels. This study is checking whether the medicine is safe and well-tolerated in this young age group. CHAPLE disease can cause serious symptoms, so finding safe treatments for young children is important.
WHY IT MATTERSThis is the first safety trial of pozelimab in very young children (ages 1-5) with CHAPLE disease, offering families of affected toddlers a potential treatment option when few alternatives exist for this life-threatening condition.
ResearchCLINICALTRIALSMar 30
This study is looking for 2,800 people to help researchers understand how being a caregiver affects a person's health and stress levels over time. The study includes caregivers of people with rare diseases like Batten disease, Tay-Sachs disease, and other inherited metabolic disorders, as well as caregivers of people with undiagnosed diseases. By learning more about caregiver stress, researchers hope to find ways to better support the millions of unpaid family caregivers in the U.S.
WHY IT MATTERSIf you or a family member care for someone with a rare inherited metabolic disorder, Batten disease, Tay-Sachs, or an undiagnosed disease, this study directly addresses the health challenges caregivers face and could lead to better support resources.
ResearchCLINICALTRIALSMar 27
Researchers are looking for 63 participants to help them understand how DNA changes in babies before birth compare to DNA changes after birth. They want to collect DNA from amniotic fluid (the fluid around a baby in the womb) or from tissue samples after delivery to create a reference guide. This guide will help doctors better diagnose rare genetic diseases that start before birth.
WHY IT MATTERSThis trial could improve how doctors diagnose rare genetic diseases in fetuses and newborns by establishing what normal DNA patterns look like before birth, which is currently unknown.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 27
Researchers in France are recruiting 5,000 newborns to test a new way of screening for rare diseases using genome sequencing—a complete reading of a baby's DNA. Instead of the current blood spot tests that check for only a few dozen conditions, this study will see if reading a baby's entire genome can safely and effectively find many more rare genetic diseases at birth. This is one of the first major studies in Europe to test this approach.
WHY IT MATTERSThis trial could expand newborn screening in France to detect dozens of additional rare genetic diseases at birth, potentially allowing earlier treatment and better health outcomes for babies with conditions that currently go undiagnosed until symptoms appear.
PolicyPUBMEDMar 26
France is creating a new type of healthcare worker called a Genomic Pathway Manager to help doctors order genetic tests for patients with rare diseases and cancer. These managers will make it easier for patients to get genetic testing by organizing the process and helping doctors understand when and how to use these tests. The goal is to make genetic testing available to more people across France starting in 2025.
WHY IT MATTERSIf you have a rare disease in France, this new system could help your doctor identify your condition faster through genetic testing, potentially leading to earlier diagnosis and treatment options.
ResearchPUBMEDMar 26
Researchers created DeepRare, a computer system that helps doctors diagnose rare diseases faster and more accurately. The system uses artificial intelligence to analyze patient information like symptoms, genetic test results, and medical history to suggest possible diagnoses. This could help patients avoid the long 'diagnostic odyssey' where they see many doctors over years before getting a correct diagnosis.
WHY IT MATTERSPatients with rare diseases spend an average of 5+ years seeking diagnosis with repeated misdiagnoses; DeepRare could dramatically shorten this timeline by providing doctors with AI-powered diagnostic support that integrates genetic and phenotype data.
ResearchPUBMEDMar 26
Researchers are developing a new way to make sure patients with Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome (AGS) have a real voice in designing clinical trials for new treatments. AGS is a rare genetic disease that affects the brain and causes inflammation. This study creates a method to listen to what matters most to patients and families so that future drug trials measure the things that actually improve their lives.
WHY IT MATTERSAs new treatments for AGS move toward clinical trials, this research ensures that the outcomes being measured in those trials reflect what patients and families actually care about—not just what doctors think is important.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers are testing a new gene therapy called SGT-212 for Friedreich's ataxia, a rare disease that affects how the body moves and coordinates. This is the first time this treatment is being tested in humans. The study will enroll 10 patients and follow them for about 5 years to see if the treatment is safe and works well.
WHY IT MATTERSThis is the first human trial of SGT-212 for Friedreich's ataxia, offering eligible patients access to a potentially disease-modifying gene therapy that addresses the underlying genetic cause rather than just managing symptoms.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers are looking for 1,500 people with inherited eye diseases caused by rare genetic changes to join a study. The study has two parts: first, they'll collect genetic information and eye health data from participants, and second, they'll follow some participants over time to understand how these eye diseases progress. This international study is now accepting new participants.
WHY IT MATTERSIf you have an inherited retinal disease with a rare genetic variant, enrolling in this registry could help researchers understand your condition better and speed up development of future treatments while contributing to a global database of genetic information.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers are looking for 20,000 people with rare diseases that doctors haven't been able to diagnose yet. Many patients spend years going to different doctors and getting repeated tests without finding answers. This study, run by the National Human Genome Research Institute, aims to help solve medical mysteries by using genetic testing and careful evaluation to figure out what's causing people's symptoms.
WHY IT MATTERSIf you or a family member has spent years seeking a diagnosis without answers, this large national study offers free genetic evaluation and expert medical review specifically designed to identify undiagnosed rare diseases.
ResearchCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Boston Children's Hospital is looking for 10,000 families with rare genetic diseases that haven't been diagnosed or fully understood yet. Researchers will study the genes and proteins in these families to figure out what's causing their conditions. The goal is to help doctors diagnose and treat rare diseases better in the future.
WHY IT MATTERSIf your family has been searching for answers about a rare or undiagnosed genetic condition, this study could help identify what's causing it and contribute to better treatments for others with the same disease.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers are looking for people with melorheostosis, a rare disease where bones become abnormally thick and hard, to join a study. The study will follow participants over time to understand how the disease develops and what causes it. Doctors will do physical exams and collect medical information from people with the disease and their unaffected family members.
WHY IT MATTERSThis is an active recruiting trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health that could help researchers understand melorheostosis progression and identify disease mechanisms, potentially leading to future treatments for this condition with limited research.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers are testing a new genetic tool called RNA-Seq to help diagnose rare diseases in children and adults whose current genetic tests came back negative. This tool looks at how genes are turned on and off in cells, which can reveal problems that standard DNA testing misses. The study will first test the tool in healthy people and those with known genetic conditions, then use it to try to diagnose patients with undiagnosed rare diseases.
WHY IT MATTERSIf you have a child or family member with symptoms of a rare kidney or genetic disease but genetic testing hasn't found answers, this trial could offer a new diagnostic pathway that standard tests have missed.
ResearchCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are recruiting 385 people—including patients, families, doctors, and scientists—to share their thoughts about ethical questions that come up when testing new treatments for rare brain and nerve diseases. The study wants to understand what different groups of people think is fair and right when designing these small, personalized treatment trials.
WHY IT MATTERSThis study directly shapes how future rare neurological disease trials will be designed and conducted, meaning your input as a patient or caregiver could influence the ethical standards that protect you in future treatment studies.