A Call for Action: The Fight for BARTH Syndrome Treatment
In the quiet corners of daily life, a small community battles a giant. They are families bound by a rare and debilitating disease known as BARTH Syndrome. It’s a condition that affects fewer than 130 known American men and boys, characterized by an enlarged and weakened heart, along with overall muscle weakness.
For these families, every day is a reminder of the fragility of their loved ones. Every few hours, the routine of feeding through a G-tube signals that their child, like Alex Gattuso, is not like every other kid. Yet, hope glimmers on the horizon in the form of a drug called Elamipretide.
Elamipretide has shown remarkable results in trials, particularly for two-year-old Declan Comerford. After suffering cardiac arrest and being diagnosed with BARR Syndrome, Declan’s heart returned to normal size following 15 weeks of daily injections. His family calls it a leap of faith that paid off, as he now lives free of heart failure.
However, the path to making this drug widely available is fraught with challenges. The FDA has previously rejected the new drug application without review, citing the need for more patients in the trial. The drug company, Stealth BioTherapeutics, faces an uphill battle with limited patients available for such a rare condition.
The community now stands at a crossroads, with the company’s recent resubmission of their application to
As the FDA deliberates, the families wait, hope, and advocate. The fight for Elamipretide is more than a medical quest; it’s a journey for life’s simple joys—a water gun fight in the backyard, a laugh shared with loved ones, and the chance to see their children grow without the shadow of BARTH Syndrome looming over them.