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

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), the leading RNAi therapeutics company, today announced the launch of the Family Health History Road Trip, its program designed to encourage conversations between family members about their health history so they can discuss with their doctor to better understand their risk for developing an inherited disease like hereditary ATTR (hATTR) amyloidosis. Inspired by the traditional family road trip, the program follows genealogist and health educator Bernice Bennett as she embarks on a cross-country road trip to meet with a physician expert in hATTR amyloidosis and affected families to learn more about the disease, hear patients’ journeys to diagnosis and explore how knowledge of family health history can drive an earlier diagnosis.

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Collage of Family Health History Road Trip participants (Graphic: Business Wire)

“When we speak about family history, we often focus on the stories about what country we came from, where family immigrated to, or what types of jobs or professions they held; what we don’t tend to focus on is the health history of those who have walked before us,” said Bennett. “Family history is considered one of the most important risk factors for health problems. Knowing your family’s health history empowers you with important information to share with your doctor when seeking a diagnosis or determining your risk for developing an inherited disease like hATTR amyloidosis.”

hATTR amyloidosis is a rapidly progressive disease caused by an inherited variant, or change, in the transthyretin (TTR) gene, which causes the TTR protein to take on an abnormal shape, misfold and collect as amyloid deposits throughout the body, including the nerves, heart and digestive system, resulting in symptoms of the disease. Common symptoms may include carpal tunnel syndrome, tingling/numbness in the hands or feet, weakness, shortness of breath, diarrhea, constipation, dizziness and unintentional weight loss. These symptoms are similar to those of more common conditions and can vary widely among people with the condition, even within families, which may lead to misdiagnoses or delays in receiving an accurate diagnosis. In fact, patients may not receive a correct diagnosis until 3 to 6 years after symptom onset, resulting in significant disease progression and impacting entire families who remain unaware that there is an inherited disease in the family.