Advocacy
The 2025 SLC6A1 Science Symposium was held in December, in Atlanta, Georgia. The event opened with our Founder, Amber Freed, announcing the first dosing of a human patient with SLC6A1 gene replacement therapy. Amber’s talk was followed by several additional scientific presentations on the current state of SLC6A1 research. All of the Symposium Videos are…
As we continue our exploration of rare diseases, Dr. Sam Patel examines their global impact, diagnostic challenges, and treatment gaps, offering insights for researchers, policymakers, and patient advocates working toward better solutions. Rare diseases may be individually uncommon, but together, they affect an estimated 300 million people worldwide (AllHealthPolicy.org, 2023). In the United States, approximately 25 to…
As we continue our exploration of rare diseases, this article by Dr. Sam Patel, examines the challenges and opportunities in advancing research for rare conditions, providing actionable insights for researchers, policymakers, and patient advocates alike. For decades, rare disease patients and their families have been overlooked by traditional healthcare systems and pharmaceutical markets. Yet, patient advocacy…
Author: Lindsay Randall of Arthur’s Quest, United Kingdom I was very excited to receive a link from our wonderful Portuguese mother Julia Ferrer, for an Orphan Drug Conference called REPO4EU. I had never heard of it before, but thought this title sounds like exactly what we are trying to do as a European network, and…
We are excited to share the following blog post from Lindsay Randall. Lindsay is the founder of Arthur’s Quest, our partner SLC6A1 community in the United Kingdom.  On October 10th, my daughter’s 4th Birthday, I attended the 4th Annual MarketsandMarkets Orphan Drugs and Rare Diseases Conference in London, as a speaker. My Husband Daniel, and…
by Lindsay Dilley, founder of Arthur’s Quest and SLC6A1 Connect UK After a disappointing rejection of our submission to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) for a special interest session on SLC6A1, I was delighted to hear that the advocates were going to attend anyway, and that Amber was pushing to be included somehow. As…
Why do you see so many fundraising emails and posts for SLC6A1 Connect? Where does all this money go? I have wondered this since first talking with SLC6A1 Connect CEO and Founder, Amber Freed, after my daughter’s diagnosis in early November 2020. Amber outlined two parallel tracks the organization was following: Research and Fundraising. I…
Dear Family, Friends and Supporters of SLC6A1 Connect, As Rare Disease Day 2023 is upon us, we are still fighting every day for our children to have the best chance they can have at life. We didn’t ask or hope to be here, again. We don’t want to be begging for answers, for money, for…
Hello again! In continuation of Rare Disease Week, we want to talk specifically about the rare disease that affects our kids and families, SLC6A1 Epileptic Encephalopathy. SLC6A1 epileptic encephalopathy is a rare neurological condition in children that causes seizures, severe movement and speech disorders, and intellectual disability. As rare disease parents, we simply cannot accept that nothing can be…
We’re so excited to share a big win for our community. This is happening because of our selfless donors that walk alongside of us every single day. In thanks to our support, SLC6A1 Connect is funding a clinical trial to repurpose an FDA approved drug named Ravicti made by Horizon Therapeutics for SLC6A1. The trial…