PKU

NHS England recently announced the drug Kuvan, treatment of PKU, was not prioritised for NHS use in the July funding round.

FRIENDS ZOO PKU, or Phenylketonuria, is a rare inherited metabolic disorder where people can't break down protein and is a condition senior keeper Kirsty Thornton was diagnosed with as a baby following the routine heelprick screening.

The 4,400 people living with PKU understandably feel that the government is failing them.

"We are proud to have discovered an enzyme that shows promise as a novel treatment for patients with PKU and are delighted that Nestle Health Science has elected to take on its continued development," said Codexis president and chief executive officer, John Nicols.

Palynziq is a novel enzyme therapy for adult PKU patients who have uncontrolled blood phenylalanine concentrations on current treatment.

The bacteria are designed to treat a rare inherited disease called phenylketonuria, or PKU. People with the condition must avoid dietary protein in foods such as meat and cheese, because their bodies cannot break down a byproduct, an amino acid called phenylalanine.

PKU is a rare genetic disease that manifests at birth and results in a variety of cumulative toxic effects on the brain.

The patients with PKU are born with an inability to break down phenylalanine (Phe), an amino acid present in protein-containing foods and high-intensity sweeteners used in foods and beverages.

According to the data on plasma Phe concentration, prior to switching to the Phe restriction diet, PKU patients are classified as having a classical PKU, mild PKU, or mHPA with levels of 1,200 or more, 600-1,200 [micro]mol/l, and less than 600 [micro]mol/l, respectively.

The establishment of mass newborn screening programs allowed the detection of PKU in the neonatal period and the early establishment of dietary treatment, resulting in a normal cognitive development (10).