LPA Statement Regarding Voxzogo™

Sonoma, CA, November 21, 2021 --(PR.com)-- Little People of America (LPA), the world’s oldest and largest support organization for people with dwarfism and their families, has been tracking biotechnical developments for the treatment of individuals with Achondroplasia. LPA President, Mark Povinelli, says, "With the FDA approval of BioMarin’s Voxzogo™ therapy, the dwarfism community has been challenged with the impact of this new treatment on its health, culture, and standing within society. LPA strongly believes that a focus on growth velocity is a search for a pharmaceutical solution for a societal problem." LPA wants to reframe priorities in research to the most meaningful ones for LPA members, such as reducing spinal stenosis, sleep apnea, and the need for corrective surgeries, as well as supporting other improvements in quality of life.

In LPA's mission to support people with dwarfism, LPA is working to provide accurate information to help families make these complex, emotionally charged, and life-altering choices. LPA believes it is the organization's responsibility to help LPA's members better understand patient rights and to advocate for a research focus on healthcare outcomes beyond growth velocity.

LPA respects the personal choices of families or individuals regarding healthcare decisions and welcomes all individuals and families to be part of LPA, regardless of medical decisions and outcomes and recognizes the complexity and sensitivity of this topic for the dwarfism community.

LPA's role is to provide social support and advocacy for the organization's members and the dwarfism community. As part of this role, LPA supports medical research, especially that which holds the potential to improve the quality of life of LPA members by treating symptoms that can range from uncomfortable to lethal. As medical science moves forward, LPA will continue to inform researchers about the value of dwarf pride and its contributions to human biological, social, and cultural diversity.