HSG and HD-CAB Collaborate to Provide Global Patient Advisory Board
Rochester, NY, March 30, 2023 --(PR.com)-- The Huntington Study Group (HSG) together with its wholly owned subsidiary, HSG Clinical Research, Inc., a world leader in conducting clinical trials for Huntington’s disease (HD), recently collaborated with Huntington’s Disease – Community Advisory Board (HD-CAB) to provide a Global Patient Advisory Board on behalf of Annexon Biosciences, Inc. Annexon is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company whose focus is on developing a pipeline of novel therapies for patients with disorders of the body, brain, and eye that are caused by improper regulation of the body’s complement system1.
The Advisory Board (Ad Board), held on November 30, 2022 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, was a six-hour session that included eleven HD-CAB advocate members from the US, Canada, Scotland, France, Italy, Sweden, Pakistan, and India, who convened to share with Annexon their stories and viewpoints and to discuss the challenges HD trial participants and their families face. One of the goals of the Ad Board was to encourage open communication about how trial sponsors and Clinical Research Organizations (CROs) can better support HD families before, during, and after clinical trials. This conversation was led by Astri Arnesen, Chair of HD-CAB and President of the European Huntington Association. Dr. Christopher Ross, HSG’s Chief Scientific Officer and Dr. Jody Corey-Bloom, Neurologist at UC San Diego and longtime HSG member, facilitated a discussion regarding Annexon’s scientific rationale in HD and planned trial design.
“HD-CAB represents the voice of the global HD community. Consisting of HD family members from six continents and 20 countries, our aim is to ensure that critical factors aren’t overlooked in the design and implementation of clinical trials. It was a pleasure to work with HSG and Annexon as they actively listened to the real-world experience of HD-CAB advocates, adjusted course as appropriate and committed to doing so on an ongoing basis,” said Astri Arnesen.
“I would like to thank the HD-CAB advocates as well as the HSG and HD-CAB management teams for the expertise and actionable next steps shared at the Global Patient Advisory Board,” said Peter Collins, VP, Global Program Team Lead of the Neurodegeneration Franchise at Annexon Biosciences. “We look forward to continued collaborations with leading patient organizations, such as HD-CAB and HSG, to ensure Annexon consistently engages with, and incorporates feedback from, the patients and families we seek to serve.”
HD-CAB recently completed a follow-up International Ad Board on behalf of Annexon Biosciences at the HYDO International Congress in Glasgow, Scotland in March 2023. HSG, HD-CAB, and Annexon Biosciences are continuing to discuss opportunities for future collaborations.
Dr. Ross noted, “HSG is always looking for innovative ways to support and engage the HD community and to make sure their voices are heard. We found this collaborative effort to be truly meaningful and hope this opportunity is just one of many that we will have the privilege of participating in. Our team is grateful to HD-CAB for their invaluable contributions and to Annexon for enabling our organizations to make this important meeting come to fruition. It was a great success.”
If you’re interested in learning more about collaboration opportunities, please contact info@hsglimited.org.
1 The body’s complement system is part of the immune system. It is responsible for defending cells and tissues from infections and diseases.
About Huntington’s disease
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive hereditary neurodegenerative disease characterized by movement disorders, psychiatric difficulties, and cognitive changes. HD symptoms usually present in middle adult life but can begin at any age. HD is a rare disorder -- about 200,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed but many more are at risk for inheriting the disease from a parent. Huntington’s disease impacts people of all genders, races, and ethnicities. While symptomatic treatments are available, a cure for HD has not yet been discovered.
About Huntington Study Group / HSG Clinical Research, Inc.
The Huntington Study Group (HSG), a not-for-profit organization founded in 1993 in Rochester, NY, and its wholly owned subsidiary, HSG Clinical Research, Inc., designs and conducts clinical trials through the world’s first and largest collaborative network of over 800 experts in Huntington’s disease at more than 130 HSG credentialed research sites worldwide. HSG is dedicated to improving the lives of people impacted by Huntington’s disease through research, education, and collaboration. For more information, visit www.huntingtonstudygroup.org.
About HD-Community Advisory Board
HD-Community Advisory Board (HD-CAB) is a coalition of partners from the European Huntington Association, the International Huntington Association, and the Huntington’s Disease Youth Organization whose mission is to represent the voice of the global HD community and provide HD community experience to regulators, industry, researchers, and governing bodies. HD-CAB provides the unique expertise of living with HD to stakeholders relevant for therapeutic development. For more information, visit www.hd-cab.org.
The Advisory Board (Ad Board), held on November 30, 2022 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, was a six-hour session that included eleven HD-CAB advocate members from the US, Canada, Scotland, France, Italy, Sweden, Pakistan, and India, who convened to share with Annexon their stories and viewpoints and to discuss the challenges HD trial participants and their families face. One of the goals of the Ad Board was to encourage open communication about how trial sponsors and Clinical Research Organizations (CROs) can better support HD families before, during, and after clinical trials. This conversation was led by Astri Arnesen, Chair of HD-CAB and President of the European Huntington Association. Dr. Christopher Ross, HSG’s Chief Scientific Officer and Dr. Jody Corey-Bloom, Neurologist at UC San Diego and longtime HSG member, facilitated a discussion regarding Annexon’s scientific rationale in HD and planned trial design.
“HD-CAB represents the voice of the global HD community. Consisting of HD family members from six continents and 20 countries, our aim is to ensure that critical factors aren’t overlooked in the design and implementation of clinical trials. It was a pleasure to work with HSG and Annexon as they actively listened to the real-world experience of HD-CAB advocates, adjusted course as appropriate and committed to doing so on an ongoing basis,” said Astri Arnesen.
“I would like to thank the HD-CAB advocates as well as the HSG and HD-CAB management teams for the expertise and actionable next steps shared at the Global Patient Advisory Board,” said Peter Collins, VP, Global Program Team Lead of the Neurodegeneration Franchise at Annexon Biosciences. “We look forward to continued collaborations with leading patient organizations, such as HD-CAB and HSG, to ensure Annexon consistently engages with, and incorporates feedback from, the patients and families we seek to serve.”
HD-CAB recently completed a follow-up International Ad Board on behalf of Annexon Biosciences at the HYDO International Congress in Glasgow, Scotland in March 2023. HSG, HD-CAB, and Annexon Biosciences are continuing to discuss opportunities for future collaborations.
Dr. Ross noted, “HSG is always looking for innovative ways to support and engage the HD community and to make sure their voices are heard. We found this collaborative effort to be truly meaningful and hope this opportunity is just one of many that we will have the privilege of participating in. Our team is grateful to HD-CAB for their invaluable contributions and to Annexon for enabling our organizations to make this important meeting come to fruition. It was a great success.”
If you’re interested in learning more about collaboration opportunities, please contact info@hsglimited.org.
1 The body’s complement system is part of the immune system. It is responsible for defending cells and tissues from infections and diseases.
About Huntington’s disease
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive hereditary neurodegenerative disease characterized by movement disorders, psychiatric difficulties, and cognitive changes. HD symptoms usually present in middle adult life but can begin at any age. HD is a rare disorder -- about 200,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed but many more are at risk for inheriting the disease from a parent. Huntington’s disease impacts people of all genders, races, and ethnicities. While symptomatic treatments are available, a cure for HD has not yet been discovered.
About Huntington Study Group / HSG Clinical Research, Inc.
The Huntington Study Group (HSG), a not-for-profit organization founded in 1993 in Rochester, NY, and its wholly owned subsidiary, HSG Clinical Research, Inc., designs and conducts clinical trials through the world’s first and largest collaborative network of over 800 experts in Huntington’s disease at more than 130 HSG credentialed research sites worldwide. HSG is dedicated to improving the lives of people impacted by Huntington’s disease through research, education, and collaboration. For more information, visit www.huntingtonstudygroup.org.
About HD-Community Advisory Board
HD-Community Advisory Board (HD-CAB) is a coalition of partners from the European Huntington Association, the International Huntington Association, and the Huntington’s Disease Youth Organization whose mission is to represent the voice of the global HD community and provide HD community experience to regulators, industry, researchers, and governing bodies. HD-CAB provides the unique expertise of living with HD to stakeholders relevant for therapeutic development. For more information, visit www.hd-cab.org.
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Huntington Study Group
Emma Grushkin
800-487-7671
https://huntingtonstudygroup.org
Emma Grushkin
800-487-7671
https://huntingtonstudygroup.org
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