Usher syndrome (USH) is a rare, genetically inherited disease and its main symptoms are sensorineural hearing loss and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) causing a slow progressive loss of sight. Some people with Usher syndrome also experience vestibular (balance) issues. It is the leading genetic cause for combined hearing and sight loss with an estimated 400,000 people worldwide having Usher syndrome with approx 200-260 people living in Ireland with this condition.
We are here to listen, support, and provide information. You can either, call, text, email, or fill out an online contact form. Click to find more details.
We are an organisation that aims to increase awareness and understanding of Usher syndrome, be a trusted source of information, along with raising funds for scientific research to find a cure or treatment for Usher syndrome. You can learn more about us and read our mission statement here.
Our organisation is run entirely by passionate volunteers meaning there's no paid staff and no team member is paid for their time or work. Therefore, we truly appreciate the dedication each one gives to help further the cause of Usher Syndrome Ireland. Read more about each of our amazing team members and why they became involved.
Our board member Deirdre, and Prof Keegan, recently appeared on national TV on Ireland:AM, to raise awareness of Usher syndrome and Usher Syndrome Ireland. You can watch back by searching episode number:128 on Virgin Media Player.
Bringing hope to the Usher syndrome community, ProQR has recently begun dosing its first patients in its Phase 2 /3 Sirius trial for people with Usher syndrome due to mutations in exon 13 of the USH2A gene. This trial is testing whether its RNA therapy, ultevursen, is effective at halting vision loss. and whether it is safe and well-tolerated. More information can be found here.
Nacuity has begun its Phase 1/2 clinical trial of Nacuity’s proprietary NPI-001 tablets, the SLO-RP Study, and are now enrolling patients with RP associated with Usher syndrome. This therapy focuses on the treatment of ocular oxidative stress in the retina which they believe may potentially slow down the degeneration of the photoreceptors cells as experienced by patients with RP associated with Usher syndrome. Nacuity expects to report interim safety results from this study during the third quarter of 2022 and first efficacy results second quarter 2023. More information can be found here.
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