Say what?! Great news!!! Acucela Receives Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for the Treatment of Stargardt's Disease! Prior to my research, I did not know what an orphan drug designation was. Here's my current understanding: Basically, it is a tax exemption for researching a drug that treats or cures a rare disease. It creates a financial incentive. As we know, Stargardt's is a rare disease that affects (over) 25,000 Americans (Low Vision Centers of Indiana, 2016). P

If you’re reading this blog for the first time, we who have Stargardt’s Disease are experiencing a loss of vision due to macular degeneration. I don’t usually post about clinical trials because I really value the importance of adapting and coping with our vision loss. I do realize that we can’t ignore science and the hope for a cure, but I value overall wellness in the meantime. I think it’s only right that I include some information about clinical trial on this site. Last