By William R. Lumry, M.D., Allergy Immunology Specialist, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.
Seven safe and effective treatments for treatment and prevention of HAE attacks have been approved and are available for treatment in various countries around the world. This occurred in only ten years! I think all of us who have or care for individuals with HAE are thankful for these life-changing and life-saving treatments.
Who do we thank? First and foremost thank you to those of you in the HAE community who volunteered your time and energy and bodies to participate in the clinical research trials that proved these treatments were effective and safe allowing them to be approved. Without your efforts this amazing accomplishment, (7 IN 10), would not have happened. You are the heroes in our community! We also should thank HAEi for advocating for us, encouraging pharmaceutical companies to take the risk to develop these products, the pharmaceutical companies who did the drug development and the physicians and researchers who coordinated and managed the trials.
As a physician who conducts clinical research for HAE patients, I encourage you to become a hero. There is more work to be done to develop new and innovative treatments for HAE. You can help. Please know these trials do require you to make some sacrifices for the greater good. You will need to make time to keep your appointments, take your study medication, keep track of your progress and occasionally have some blood drawn. It is important for you to carefully and truthfully report your experience with the study medication. Some of the trials last months or years but it is vitally important that you stay in the trial until the end of it so a complete picture of your experience can be captured.
THANK YOU to all of you who made 7 IN 10 possible! And THANK YOU to those who will continue to support these important research efforts.
