Alnylam Launches Hereditary ATTR (hATTR) Amyloidosis Campaign to Help Shorten Time to Diagnosis for Inherited and Rapidly Progressive Disease - Seite 2

“It took seeing nine doctors over seven years for me to finally receive a diagnosis of hATTR amyloidosis,” said Christine, a Family Health History Road Trip participant who is living with hATTR amyloidosis. “Once I mentioned my uncle’s history of amyloid neuropathy to my doctor, I was immediately offered a genetic test and finally received a diagnosis. My symptoms were so different from my uncle’s that I never thought to discuss his health history with my doctor when I started my search for answers. If I had, I could have potentially been diagnosed and started on a disease management plan much earlier.”

With an inherited disease like hATTR amyloidosis that progresses rapidly, early diagnosis is crucial. When a diagnosis is delayed, appropriate management of the disease is also delayed, which is especially problematic as symptoms of hATTR amyloidosis can worsen over time and cause irreversible damage. That is why having health history conversations within families is so important – it equips current and future generations with important health information to share with their doctor and take action. A genetic test can determine whether a person carries one of the more than 120 variants in the TTR gene associated with hATTR amyloidosis. Once a gene variant is identified, family members of an affected individual can share this information with their doctor to help determine their own risk for the disease.

“Alnylam has been learning from the hATTR amyloidosis community for nearly two decades, and during that time, I’ve witnessed firsthand the devastating impact a delayed diagnosis can have on an individual’s quality of life and on their entire family,” said Tiffany Patrick, MPH, MBA, Vice President, Patient Advocacy and Engagement at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. “The Family Health History Road Trip program underscores Alnylam’s commitment to supporting improved health outcomes for the hATTR amyloidosis community.”

hATTR amyloidosis is an autosomal dominant condition – meaning each child of one parent with hATTR amyloidosis has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the genetic variant that causes the condition. While a family member may inherit the TTR gene variant, having the variant does not necessarily mean that they will develop the disease. Although anyone can be at risk for developing hATTR amyloidosis, it is more common in certain ethnicities, such as people of African, Brazilian, French, Irish, Japanese, Portuguese and Swedish descent.