The Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA (PWSA | USA) is a nonprofit organization formed in 1975 to enhance the quality of life of those affected by Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) through research, family support, and advocacy. The purpose of this request is to solicit applications for research projects whose findings will directly impact individuals living with...
The Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA (PWSA | USA) is a nonprofit organization formed in 1975 to enhance the quality of life of those affected by Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) through research, family support, and advocacy. We are proud to offer scholarships of up to $25,000 USD to support providers in enhancing their understanding of Prader-Willi...
TREND Community released its latest report on Gastrointestinal Issue in the PWS Community. This report expresses some of the most common topics involving GI issues, including constipation and bowel movements, vomiting/spitting up/gagging, prune juice and other foods, reflux, and community support. This report looked at the conversations to determine different emotions in relation to GI...
Individuals with PWS often exhibit rigidity, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, emotional outbursts, as well as unusual thoughts and behaviors. However, the onset and severity of these behaviors vary among individuals with PWS depending on age, genetic subtype, and other factors. A new study by Dr. David Evans at Bucknell University aims to identify early risk factors for...
TREND Community released its latest report on PWS and Emotional and Behavioral Patterns. This report analyzed conversations parents and caregivers were having on the topic of emotional and behavioral issues. In a testament to the dedication and connection of parents to their loved ones, the largest primary emotion category was “Happiness”, with “Love” being the...
A month ago, Freya transitioned from the 77-day double-blind portion of the Pitolisant trial to the open-label extension, which will last at least a year or as long as she is willing to participate – whichever is longer. If you’ve been following this blog series, you know I went into this with feelings of trepidation...
contributed by Anne Fricke, mom to Freya (13, living with Prader-Willi Syndrome) Freya’s third and fourth appointments for the Harmony TEMPO PWS trial to study whether pitolisant is an effective treatment for excessive daytime sleepiness (ESD) in individuals with PWS, were simply routine and a lot like the second appointment. Lab work, caregiver questionnaires, counting...
Dear PWS Families, We understand that hearing about the FDA’s extension of the review period for DCCR (diazoxide choline controlled release) may bring a mix of emotions, from hope to concern. Please know that this is a normal and expected part of the FDA’s thorough process, especially for a rare disease medication that has been...
On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, Soleno Therapeutics shared an important development regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for DCCR (diazoxide choline) extended-release tablets—a potential treatment for individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) aged four and older who experience hyperphagia. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the review period for this NDA, pushing the...
We are excited to share the next PWS Pulse Report that focuses on pain. TREND looked at the most common types of pain and the affected body parts. TREND also analyzed the types of pain medications discussed as well as the associated sentiments. Finally, they explored the experience of reduced pain sensitivity in individuals with...
contributed by Anne Fricke (This post picks up from “The Screening Appointment” if you would like to start there.) Baseline Appointment (1.5 hours, on-site): Spending a night in southern California is not my idea of fun or relaxation. During our first trip, Freya enjoyed the arcade on the pier and splashing in a slightly warmer...
contributed by Susan Fries, mom to Roselyn, 7-year-old living with PWS “I feel like we are all waiting for that magic fix, and if it works for someone else then my kid must drink the kool-aid and it’ll work for them too. But we deep down know it doesn’t work that way as much as...
contributed by Anne Fricke The intention of this series is to shed light on the process of enrolling and participating in a clinical trial, as well as to create a space to openly share the many emotions that are involved when a family decides whether or not to join. Part of the decision-making process should...
contributed by Anne Fricke I lay awake in a pre-dawn haze the morning Freya was to take her first pill. We had been to Southern California twice already, a combination of 7 flights up and down the coastline, numerous hours of travel, and far too many airport meals, and I was still momentarily on the...
September 24, 2024 Dear Prader-Willi Syndrome Community, We are pleased to share an update on the 12-week, pivotal Phase 3 COMPASS PWS study evaluating the efficacy and safety of carbetocin nasal spray (ACP-101), an investigational drug, for the treatment of hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome. The study was initiated in the United States in November 2023...
The FDA has announced its plan to conduct an Advisory Committee Meeting as part of its review of Soleno Therapeutics’ DCCR New Drug Application. The FDA convenes Advisory Committees to provide independent expert advice that contributes to the agency’s regulatory decision-making. As part of the Advisory Committee Meeting, interested community members are encouraged to share...
Exciting news for the Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) community! Soleno Therapeutics has announced that the FDA has accepted their new drug application (NDA) for DCCR, a drug designed to treat hyperphagia in individuals with PWS aged 4 and older. This acceptance is a major first step, and the FDA has granted Priority Review, recognizing the potential...
Contributed by Barb Dorn, RN, BSN As I began my research looking at specific health issues in the aging adult with PWS, I soon learned that there was not much information on this topic. I did find a few articles that documented clinical evidence for early signs of aging. As far as dementia, I found...
Compiled by Barb Dorn, RN, BSN People with PWS are growing old. Many of this may be the result of our increased knowledge in supporting and caring for the person with PWS. We have learned to replenish hormone deficiencies and manage their diet and food security. We have identified critical health issues and know that...
On June 28, 2024, Soleno Therapeutics announced the company officially submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for DCCR (diazoxide choline) extended-release tablets. This new treatment targets Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) in individuals aged 4 and older with hyperphagia. CEO Anish Bhatnagar, M.D., says, “Submission of the DCCR NDA to...
Kasey Bedard, PhD, and her team at The Chicago School are seeking caregivers of children diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) who exhibit repetitive verbal behavior for a research study at The Chicago School. This study, part of a dissertation project, aims to test interventions that caregivers can implement at home. Study Details: – Duration: 2-3...
Aardvark Therapeutics has just hit a major milestone with an exciting $85 million Series C financing round! Led by Decheng Capital, with additional participation from several investors, including PWSA | USA, this funding is set to drive the development of ARD-101, a groundbreaking treatment for hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome patients. ARD-101 showed promising early trial...
PWSA | USA is currently seeking research project applications with direct impacts on individuals and families affected by PWS. We are offering mini-fellowship grants to support providers in enhancing their understanding of PWS through clinical proctorships. Research priorities include expanding knowledge about PWS, applying therapies, and attracting new providers and investigators to the field. Funding...
Big news! Soleno Therapeutics has announced a groundbreaking achievement: diazoxide choline (DCCR) has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA for Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). This marks a significant milestone as the FIRST-EVER designation for a drug developed for PWS. The designation underscores the FDA’s recognition of PWS as a serious condition and the potential...
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.
Over the years, as a special-needs parent navigating the Special Education system for Sophie, Jennifer became interested in learning as much as possible about that process. She began by attending PWSA (USA)’s first Wyatt Special Education Advocacy Training in March of 2013, and went on to complete a rigorous 9-month Special Education Advocacy Training course with the Council of Parent Advocates and Attorneys in May of 2015. This included successfully completing an advocacy internship with PWSA (USA). Jennifer is referred school cases by PWSA (USA)’s Family Support Counselors, and then works closely with parents and schools to review education records, assess the child’s situation at school, provide further information about how the syndrome affects the school experience, and, as needed, create improved IEPs and behavioral plans. Jennifer was excited to take on this role of helping parents in the PWS community to work collaboratively with school professionals and parents to create positive, effective learning environments for children with PWS across the country. Jennifer is a graduate of the WSEAT program.
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.
Past president of the Education Law Association and co-chair of the Pennsylvania special education appeals panel from 1990 to 2007, he is the author of the CEC monograph The Legal Meaning of Specific Learning Disability; the more recently published books, A Digest of Supreme Court Decisions Affecting Education and Student Teaching and the Law; and the two-volume reference Section 504, the ADA and theSchools, now in its fourth edition. In 2012, he received Research into Practice Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Excellence in Research Award from AERA’s Division A (Administration, Organization & Leadership). In 2013, he received the University Council for Educational Administration’s Edwin Bridges award for significant contributions to the preparation and development of school leaders. In 2016, he received the Education Law Association’s Steven S. Goldberg Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Education Law, and in 2017 he received the Council for Exceptional Children’s Special Education Research Award. Note:Perry’s website is perryzirkel.com
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.
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.
She obtained her PhD from Capella University in Education focusing her research on Prader-Willi Syndrome. Dr. McTighe is also a graduate of the William & Mary Law School’s Institute for Special Education Advocacy. Dr. McTighe is currently the chair of the Special Education Advisory Board for the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association-(USA). Amy is the Chair of PWSA (USA)’s Special Education Advisory Board.
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.
Staci Zimmerman has lived in Denver, CO for the past 17 years. She lives with her husband and 5 year old daughter. Staci attended The University of Kansas, with a B.A in sociology and an M.ed in Special Education, with an emphasis in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Staci enjoys teaching fitness classes, and keeping a healthy, active lifestyle in Colorado.
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.
Before founding SDLC, Jim was the Executive Director of Advocacy, Inc., the Texas Protection and Advocacy program from 1989-2001. During that period, he managed the growth of the program from 34 staff to a staff of 94 and from a centralized operation with one office to a regionalized operation with eleven offices spread across Texas.
From 1981-1989, Jim worked for the Advocacy Center for the Elderly and Disabled (Louisiana’s Protection and Advocacy program) as its Legal Director. From 1979 to 1981 Jim worked as a staff attorney for the Louisiana Center for the Public Interest.
Jim graduated from Tulane University School of Law in 1977, and has a BA in Accounting & Economics from the University of Puget Sound.
Jim is the author of publications and training materials on the IDEA, the ADA, and Section 504, including: Keeping Students with Disabilities in School: Legal Strategies and Effective Educational Practices for Preventing the Suspension of Students with Disabilities – A Resource Manual (2014); Stopping the Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Pipeline by Enforcing Federal Special Education Laws (2006), co–authored with Rhonda Brownstein from the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Jim has served as lead or co-counsel in several major IDEA actions in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi on behalf of thousands of students with disabilities, including Angel G. v. Texas Education Agency; Luke S. v. Louisiana Department of Education and Mattie T. v. Mississippi Department of Education. The past decade, he also filed and favorably settled five systemic administrative complaints in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. These systemic complaints were filed under IDEA’s state complaint procedures.
Jim has also made over two hundred presentations at statewide, regional and national conferences on IDEA, Section 504, and ADA issues. The past four years he has also served as one of the faculty members at William and Mary Law School’s week long Institute on Special Education Advocacy.
