Publications by authors named "Julia B Hennermann"

Background: This paper presents efficacy and safety outcomes from the 48-month open-label extension (OLE) of the phase 2/3 NPC-002 trial (NCT02612129) which evaluated arimoclomol treatment in patients with Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC). Arimoclomol was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of NPC in combination with miglustat.

Methods: Patients with NPC who completed the double-blind (DB) phase of the randomized controlled NPC-002 trial were eligible to continue in the OLE, during which all patients received arimoclomol in addition to routine clinical care.

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Background: In the 12-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2/3 NPC-002 study (NCT02612129), arimoclomol significantly reduced annual disease progression versus placebo, measured by the 5-domain NPC Clinical Severity Scale (5DNPCCSS). Arimoclomol has been approved in the US for treatment of Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) in combination with miglustat. This paper introduces the rescored 4-domain NPCCSS (R4DNPCCSS) as a primary endpoint in NPC-002, discusses its validation, and presents the results of the primary analysis.

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Background: Alpha-mannosidosis is a rare recessive lysosomal storage disorder with progressive multi-systemic impacts. In the absence of standardized monitoring protocols, there is insufficient understanding of disease progression over time. This study explored the evolution of the burden of illness and quality of life (QoL) experienced by patients with alpha-mannosidosis via an international patient and caregiver-based survey.

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Objective: Although newborn screening (NBS) programs were expanded with the implementation of tandem mass spectrometry in the late 1990s, the impact on long-term clinical and cognitive outcomes of adolescents and young adults with inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) has remained fairly unknown for most IMDs.

Methods: A prospective, multicenter, observational study is performed in Southwest Germany (NGS2025, DRKS-ID: DRKS00013329). For systematic follow-up from preschool up to adulthood, individuals with IMDs identified by NBS between 1999 and 2014 were included.

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Mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II, Hunter syndrome) is a rare, X-linked lysosomal storage disease caused by reduced activity of iduronate-2-sulfatase (I2S), with subsequent cellular accumulation of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), heparan sulfate, and dermatan sulfate (DS). DS is a major component of the extracellular matrix of heart valves, which can be affected in MPS II. We investigated the natural history of valve disease in MPS II and the impact of long-term intravenous enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant I2S (idursulfase).

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Article Synopsis
  • - Lysosomal storage disorders (LSD) are genetic metabolic conditions caused by issues with lysosomes, affecting roughly 1 in 5000 births, with Fabry and Gaucher diseases being the most prevalent
  • - These disorders primarily result from enzyme deficiencies, leading to the buildup of undegraded materials in cells, which can disrupt normal cellular function and cause toxicity or inflammation
  • - There are approved treatment options for Fabry and Gaucher diseases, including enzyme replacement therapy, chaperone therapy, and substrate reduction therapy.
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  • Children and adolescents with Pompe disease (PD) experience significant myopathy that requires intensive enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), but little is known about their views on the disease and treatment.
  • A study involving interviews with 11 pediatric patients and 26 caregivers highlighted diverse perceptions of symptoms and their social impacts, showing that even mild limitations can be frustrating for patients.
  • Participants generally felt relieved by the transition from hospital to home-based ERT, emphasizing improvements in daily life and emotional well-being, although their emotional responses varied widely.
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Newborn screening (NBS) is one of the most effective measures of secondary prevention. While the benefit of NBS on the clinical long-term outcomes of children with inherited metabolic diseases (IMD) has been demonstrated, the potential burden of families living with an early diagnosed and treated child with an IMD has not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this longitudinal questionnaire-based study on 369 families living with a child with an IMD was to investigate the psychosocial and financial burden following a true-positive NBS.

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Introduction: Current literature lacks consensus on initial assessments and routine follow-up care of patients with alpha-mannosidosis (AM). A Delphi panel was conducted to generate and validate recommendations on best practices for initial assessment, routine follow-up care, and integrated care coordination of patients with AM.

Methods: A modified Delphi method involving 3 rounds of online surveys was used.

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Article Synopsis
  • Genetic disorders create lifelong challenges for individuals and families, requiring ongoing medical support, particularly for children with Pompe disease (PD) who often struggle in physical activities.
  • The study presents the PompeQoL 1.0 questionnaire, developed to assess both disease-specific functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) through self-reports and parent-proxy reports, ensuring content validity through patient and parent feedback.
  • With 52 selected items showing strong reliability and initial validation, the PompeQoL questionnaire is a significant tool for clinical and research use, although further testing and revisions are needed for broader application.
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Objective: Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), a life-threatening metabolic disorder, is included in newborn screening (NBS) programs worldwide. The study aims to evaluate the impact of NBS on the long-term outcome of MSUD patients.

Methods: We performed a prospective, national, multicenter, observational study.

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Background: Mucopolysaccharidosis VII (MPS VII) is an ultra-rare, autosomal recessive, debilitating, progressive lysosomal storage disease caused by reduced activity of β-glucuronidase (GUS) enzyme. Vestronidase alfa (recombinant human GUS) intravenous enzyme replacement therapy is an approved treatment for patients with MPS VII.

Methods: This disease monitoring program (DMP) is an ongoing, multicenter observational study collecting standardized real-world data from patients with MPS VII (N ≈ 50 planned) treated with vestronidase alfa or any other management approach.

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The current German newborn screening (NBS) panel includes 13 inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs). In addition, a NBS pilot study in Southwest Germany identifies individuals with propionic acidemia (PA), methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), combined and isolated remethylation disorders (e.g.

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Objective: This study aims to elucidate the long-term benefit of newborn screening (NBS) for individuals with long-chain 3-hydroxy-acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) and mitochondrial trifunctional protein (MTP) deficiency, inherited metabolic diseases included in NBS programs worldwide.

Methods: German national multicenter study of individuals with confirmed LCHAD/MTP deficiency identified by NBS between 1999 and 2020 or selective metabolic screening. Analyses focused on NBS results, confirmatory diagnostics, and long-term clinical outcomes.

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Background: Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant human alglucosidase alfa (rhGAA) was approved in Europe in 2006. Nevertheless, data on the long-term outcome of infantile onset Pompe disease (IOPD) patients at school age is still limited.

Objective: We analyzed in detail cardiac, respiratory, motor, and cognitive function of 15 German-speaking patients aged 7 and older who started ERT at a median age of 5 months.

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Background: Olipudase alfa is a recombinant human acid sphingomyelinase enzyme replacement therapy for non-central-nervous-system manifestations of acid sphingomyelinase deficiency (ASMD). The ASCEND randomized placebo-controlled trial in adults with ASMD demonstrated reductions in sphingomyelin storage, organomegaly, interstitial lung disease and impaired diffusion capacity of the lung (DL), during the first year of olipudase alfa treatment. In an ongoing open-label extension of the ASCEND trial, individuals in the placebo group crossed over to olipudase alfa, and those in the olipudase alfa group continued treatment.

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Article Synopsis
  • Fabry disease is a rare disorder caused by a deficiency in α-galactosidase A, leading to serious health issues like kidney and heart disease, and the study aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HrQol) and its predictors in patients.
  • The study involved 135 adult patients across specialized centers in Germany and Switzerland, analyzing various demographic, social, and clinical factors impacting HrQol using self-reported questionnaires.
  • Key findings indicated that factors like classic phenotype, organ involvement (especially kidney and heart disease), depression, and burning limb pain are independent predictors of lower HrQol, while enzyme replacement and chaperone therapies are associated with improved HrQol.
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Analytical and therapeutic innovations led to a continuous but variable extension of newborn screening (NBS) programmes worldwide. Every extension requires a careful evaluation of feasibility, diagnostic (process) quality and possible health benefits to balance benefits and limitations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of 18 candidate diseases for inclusion in NBS programmes.

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Newborn screening (NBS) allows early identification of individuals with rare disease, such as isovaleric aciduria (IVA). Reliable early prediction of disease severity of positively screened individuals with IVA is needed to guide therapeutic decision, prevent life-threatening neonatal disease manifestation in classic IVA and over-medicalization in attenuated IVA that may remain asymptomatic. We analyzed 84 individuals (median age at last study visit 8.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Alpha-mannosidosis (AM) is a rare genetic disorder caused by the deficiency of an enzyme, leading to the buildup of certain sugars, with symptoms that can be severe and often go undiagnosed until late childhood.
  • - Velmanase alfa (VA) is the first enzyme replacement therapy approved in Europe for treating non-neurological symptoms of AM, with research suggesting earlier treatment could lead to better outcomes.
  • - A phase 2 study involving five children under 6 years old found that long-term VA treatment was generally safe, well-tolerated, and resulted in improvements in health indicators, although the small sample size limits broader conclusions.
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Objectives: Cardiac involvement in Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) results in myocardial lipid depositions. An early diagnosis can maximize therapeutic benefit. Thus, this study aims to investigate the potential of cardiac MRI (CMR) based parameters of left atrial (LA) function and strain to detect early stages of AFD.

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Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inborn error of metabolism caused by a deficiency in functional phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), resulting in accumulation of phenylalanine (Phe) in patients' blood and organs. Affected patients encounter severe developmental delay, neurological deficits, and behavioral abnormalities when not treated. Early diagnosis and treatment are extremely important; newborn screening programs have been implemented in most countries to ensure early identification of patients with PKU.

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Gaucher disease type 3 is a chronic neuronopathic disorder with wide-ranging effects, including hepatosplenomegaly, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, skeletal disease and diverse neurological manifestations. Biallelic mutations in GBA1 reduce lysosomal acid β-glucosidase activity, and its substrates, glucosylceramide and glucosylsphingosine, accumulate. Enzyme replacement therapy and substrate reduction therapy ameliorate systemic features of Gaucher disease, but no therapies are approved for neurological manifestations.

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Newborn screening (NBS) for inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) substantially shortens a patient's journey. It enables the early start of metabolic treatment which might prevent potentially lethal neonatal disease manifestations, while promoting favorable development and long-term clinical outcomes. This study aims to assess growth in screened individuals with IMDs under different dietary regimes.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the early detection of cardiac changes in patients with Fabry's disease (FD), which can lead to serious complications like left ventricular hypertrophy.
  • Researchers evaluated biventricular strain assessments in 58 FD patients compared to 62 healthy volunteers using advanced cardiac imaging techniques.
  • Findings suggest that biventricular strains can effectively distinguish early FD patients from healthy individuals, potentially allowing for earlier treatment and better long-term outcomes.
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