Sara Cotter, mom to a child with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), has formed a company dedicated to advancing treatments for PWS and related disorders. The company is called Levo Therapeutics (www.levotheraputics.com). Sara has years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as an analyst with UBS. She recently left her job to pursue the leadership of Levo Therapeutics full time. Her commitment to PWS through Levo Therapeutics is a positive step for development of therapeutic options for the PWS community.
See the full Levo Therapeutics press release by Clicking HERE
Ferring has completed a successful Phase II study of Carbetocin in PWS. There are three phases in drug development and Carbetocin is ready to enter the third and final stage. Carbetocin is the fastest and best chance for a therapeutic option for an oxytocin-like drug. Levo Therapeutics plans to complete its transaction with Ferring Pharmaceuticals and build financial and human resources to perform a Phase III trial with PWS. If successful, they could then be in position to seek approval from the FDA for its use in PWS.
Exactly how the funds we raised to support the further development of “oxytocin” may be best used with Carbetocin/oxytocin is being evaluated. It is however clear that through our raising of substantial funds as a PWS community, we have spurred increased activity on oxytocin/Carbetocin that led to today’s announcement.
Research Chair
Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA)
Jennifer Bolander has been serving as a Special Education Specialist for PWSA (USA) since October of 2015. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and lives in Ohio with her husband Brad and daughters Kate (17), and Sophia (13) who was born with PWS.
Perry A. Zirkel has written more than 1,500 publications on various aspects of school law, with an emphasis on legal issues in special education. He writes a regular column for NAESP’s Principal magazine and NASP’s Communiqué newsletter, and he did so previously for Phi Delta Kappan and Teaching Exceptional Children.
Evan has worked with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) since 2007 primarily as a Crisis Intervention and Family Support Counselor. Evans works with parents and schools to foster strong collaborative relationships and appropriate educational environments for students with PWS.
Dr. Amy McTighe is the PWS Program Manager and Inpatient Teacher at the Center for Prader-Willi Syndrome at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She graduated from Duquesne University receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education with a focus on elementary education, special education, and language arts.
Staci Zimmerman works for Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Colorado as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) consultant. Staci collaborates with the PWS multi-disciplinary clinic at the Children’s Hospital in Denver supporting families and school districts around the United States with their child’s Individual Educational Plan.
Founded in 2001, SDLC is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities throughout the South. It partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs, Legal Services Corporations (LSC) and disability organizations on major, systemic disability rights issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the federal Medicaid Act. Recently in November 2014, Jim retired.