Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Marisa holds a Master of Science in cellular and molecular pathology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied novel genetic drivers of ovarian cancer. Her areas of expertise include cancer biology, immunology, and genetics, and she has worked as a science writing and communications intern for the Genetics Society of America.

Articles by Marisa Wexler

Clinical hold of deucrictibant for on-demand treatment lifted by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted its hold on clinical trials of deucrictibant for the on-demand treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE). The therapy’s developer Pharvaris now expects to resume RAPIDe-2 (NCT05396105), a long-term extension study evaluating PHVS416, an immediate-release capsule formulation of deucrictibant,…

Fewer ER visits for patients on Haegarda, Takhzyro: Study

People with hereditary angioedema (HAE) tend to experience fewer emergency room visits and hospitalizations after starting treatment with Haegarda or Takhzyro (lanadelumab), a new analysis indicates. Despite the decreasing rates, some patients still experience health emergencies while on these therapies, which researchers said highlights the burden of…

PHVS416 found to quickly ease HAE swelling symptoms in trial

On-demand treatment with the experimental oral therapy PHVS416 was found to quickly and effectively ease symptoms of swelling attacks for people with hereditary angioedema (HAE) in a Phase 2 clinical trial. PHVS416 worked within hours of dosing, providing “clinical meaningful” reductions in swelling symptoms, according to researchers. Pharvaris,…

Under-the-skin injections found to ease angioedema in pregnancy

A pregnant woman with type 3 hereditary angioedema (HAE) had potential swelling attacks effectively controlled during both pregnancy and breastfeeding with the use of subcutaneous or under-the-skin injections of a plasma-derived C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH), according to a case report from Spain. Researchers say this may be the first…

Cancer treatment caused facial angioedema as side effect

A woman with colon cancer developed angioedema as a side effect of treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), a recently developed type of cancer immunotherapy. Researchers advised that “clinicians, pharmacists, and patients should be aware of this rare side effect of ICIs,” adding that facial angioedema can be…

HAE gene-editing therapy NTLA-2002 receives RMAT designation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted regenerative medicine advanced therapy (RMAT) designation to NTLA-2002, an experimental gene-editing therapy that Intellia Therapeutics is developing to treat hereditary angioedema (HAE). RMAT designation is granted to therapies with the potential to treat, reverse, or cure serious or life-threatening…