One year ago, on March 26, 2025, the Prader-Willi syndrome community reached a historic milestone. For the first time, a treatment, VYKAT™ XR (diazoxide choline), was approved by the FDA specifically for hyperphagia in individuals ages 4 and older living with PWS. For a community that has long understood hyperphagia as the most urgent and defining challenge for our loved ones, this approval marked a significant moment in the history of PWS care and research.
Hyperphagia, which is the chronic, intense, and persistent feeling of hunger, shapes nearly every aspect of daily life for individuals with PWS and their families. The approval of a treatment targeting this hallmark symptom was the result of decades of advocacy, research, and perseverance by the PWS community.
To mark the one-year anniversary of this milestone, Soleno Therapeutics has shared a letter with the PWS community reflecting on the past year.
Read Soleno’s full letter at the button below.
Learn More About VYKAT XR
For those seeking more information about VYKAT XR, the following resources may be a helpful starting point. As always, we encourage families to speak with their healthcare provider to determine the best course of care for their loved one.
– Soleno Therapeutics’ official VYKAT XR patient information page
Perry A. Zirkel has written more than 1,500 publications on various aspects of school law, with an emphasis on legal issues in special education. He writes a regular column for NAESP’s Principal magazine and NASP’s Communiqué newsletter, and he did so previously for Phi Delta Kappan and Teaching Exceptional Children.
Jennifer Bolander has been serving as a Special Education Specialist for PWSA (USA) since October of 2015. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and lives in Ohio with her husband Brad and daughters Kate (17), and Sophia (13) who was born with PWS.
Dr. Amy McTighe is the PWS Program Manager and Inpatient Teacher at the Center for Prader-Willi Syndrome at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She graduated from Duquesne University receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education with a focus on elementary education, special education, and language arts.
Evan has worked with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) since 2007 primarily as a Crisis Intervention and Family Support Counselor. Evans works with parents and schools to foster strong collaborative relationships and appropriate educational environments for students with PWS.
Staci Zimmerman works for Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Colorado as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) consultant. Staci collaborates with the PWS multi-disciplinary clinic at the Children’s Hospital in Denver supporting families and school districts around the United States with their child’s Individual Educational Plan.
Founded in 2001, SDLC is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities throughout the South. It partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs, Legal Services Corporations (LSC) and disability organizations on major, systemic disability rights issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the federal Medicaid Act. Recently in November 2014, Jim retired.