New White Paper is the First and Only Comprehensive Case Analysis to Elucidate all Known Cases of Microvillus Inclusion Disease
– A rare, fatal intestinal disease that victimizes infants resulting in poor quality of life and a short lifespan if not diagnosed and treated-
HAMDEN, Conn., February 28, 2019 — Vanessa Research, Inc. (VRI) – a Connecticut-based biomedical company discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative products in areas of unmet medical needs – announced today the publication of a white paper, the first and only comprehensive case analysis that focuses on all known case studies published globally on microvillus inclusion disease (MVID). MVID is an exceedingly rare genetic gastrointestinal disorder that afflicts infants with diarrhea so severe that malnutrition and dehydration are inevitable, and often lethal if the condition is not appropriately diagnosed and treated.
The white paper, Addressing the Microvillus Inclusion Disease Knowledge Gap – A Comprehensive Case Analysis, is the first and only comprehensive analysis that summarizes data trends across all known literature on MVID. The authors aggregated data related to patient location, gender, disease onset, and various treatment strategies.
Dr. Dmitry Kravtsov, M.D., one of the authors and Vice President of Research & Development at VRI, stated that: “Given the rarity of microvillus inclusion disease, it can be difficult for doctors and caregivers to find information and research related to the condition. Vanessa Research is incredibly excited to publish this paper as part of its ongoing mission to serve as a premiere educational resource on MVID and to raise awareness of this devastating disorder.”
The paper underscores the fact that the treatment methods currently considered to be the most effective for management of MVID — total parenteral nutrition (TPN), in which fluids and nutrients are delivered via IV directly into the bloodstream of the patient, and eventually a small bowel transplantation — are associated with not only a poor quality of life for patients, but also can lead to serious and potentially lethal complications.
The report concludes that the accelerated development of new treatment options for long-term management of MVID is needed given the poor prognosis and quality of life associated with the standard methods of care.
While the precise prevalence of MVID is unknown, only 356 cases have been reported in the literature since the first case study in 1978. Cases remained relatively high from 1991 – 2017 with a notable spike of 147% cases. The incredibly small population of patients presents challenges regarding the breadth and availability of scientific and medical information pertaining to the disease.
“VRI plans to continue increasing awareness and reliable information on MVID globally, fulfilling the company’s mission to ‘give hope where none existed’ by focusing on diseases that are overlooked due to their rarity,” said Dr. Kravtsov. “This paper is one of the many first steps by our company to providing an understanding of this fatal disease so that the best treatments may be developed.”
Addressing the Microvillus Inclusion Disease Knowledge Gap – A Comprehensive Case Analysis can be downloaded now at mvid.vanessaresearch.com/case-analysis.