Hope on the Horizon: First treatment Trial Begins for Rare Katwijk Disease
Katwijk, Netherlands – In a landmark moment for patients and families affected by katwijk disease, also known as Dutch-type Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (D-CAA), the first-ever treatment trial for this rare, hereditary condition has begun. D-CAA causes a buildup of harmful proteins in the brain’s blood vessels, leading to perhaps devastating consequences like brain bleeds and memory loss, typically manifesting around age 50. The disease is primarily concentrated within families in Katwijk and surrounding areas of the Netherlands.
This groundbreaking research, part of a larger international study, offers a beacon of hope for a condition historically overlooked by the pharmaceutical industry. “The fact that we’ve been able to include D-CAA patients in a medicine research is very remarkable,” explains researcher Ellen Stijl-‘t Hart. “Normally, rare diseases don’t quickly attract industry inquiry.” Years of meticulous planning, ethical review, and collaboration have culminated in this pivotal moment.
“This is a very big, and also exciting moment,” says Maike Hoek, board member of the D-CAA association, speaking to the profound impact this trial has on patients and their loved ones. “Not only for the patients themselves, but also for their families.”
Beyond Katwijk: Potential Implications for Alzheimer’s and CAA
The study centers around the drug Mivelsiran, which researchers hope will inhibit
