Publications by authors named "O Dabbous"

Objective: Recent scientific breakthroughs have propelled the development of disease-modifying and potentially curative cell and gene therapies (CGTs) for rare diseases, including those diseases previously considered untreatable. However, the unique characteristics of CGTs pose challenges for the traditional methods of therapy value determination, reimbursement, and outcome evaluation used by regulatory and assessment agencies for product approval and market access. Notably, CGTs are one-time or short-course treatments, often first-in-class (precluding direct comparisons with effective alternatives), and have health benefits that are largely realized over time.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic neuromuscular disease associated with progressive loss of motor function. Risdiplam, a daily oral therapy, was approved in the United States for the treatment of SMA. Risdiplam's effectiveness depends on patient adherence to the treatment regimen.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic neuromuscular disorder characterized by skeletal muscle weakness and atrophy. Patients with SMA types 1 and 2 develop severe disabilities conferring substantial patient and caregiver burden. Caregiver treatment characteristic preferences are useful for informing treatment choices and improving adherence.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Enterococcus faecalis is a highly resistant bacterium commonly found in root canal infections, prompting research into innovative disinfection methods like photoinactivation with visible light.
  • This study focused on how femtosecond laser irradiation affects vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis V583, assessing the impact of wavelength and energy density on bacterial viability and growth.
  • The results revealed that wavelengths of 430 nm and 435 nm at a fluence of 1000 J/cm significantly reduced the bacteria's viability by nearly 98% and emphasized the need to optimize laser parameters for effective bacterial inactivation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Health technology assessment (HTA) for pharmaceuticals, especially rare disease treatments, involves complexities and uncertainties due to faster approval processes.
  • Real-world evidence (RWE) is being proposed to support HTA decisions, but its collection and application come with significant methodological challenges.
  • The paper emphasizes the importance of rigorous study design and analysis in using RWE, and offers suggestions to enhance its effectiveness in HTA, highlighting its growing role in determining coverage and pricing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF