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t m c » p u l s e | d e c 2 0 1 9/JA N 2 02 0 11 "I never really saw my grandpa," Reynolds said. "He shot himself before I saw the signs or movements and actions, and we never visited my aunts and uncles who had it, so I didn't really understand what it was. As my mom went through it, then I started seeing the signs. She had had breast cancer before and a lot of the side effects were similar." Before Reynolds was diagnosed with Huntington's, he attended college at Stephen F. Austin State University, enlisted in the military and became a boomer—an in-flight fueler. "My mom being sick, she would call me and say things and it would make me want to go and be with her because she was crying and so upset," he explained. "So, a lot of times, you drop things to go home and be with your family." Reynolds was diagnosed with Huntington's several years ago. It hasn't been easy, particularly since he watched his mother and older brother suffer. "You will be a little bit suicidal and things like that," Reynolds said. After joining a support group that helps patients manage their symptoms, Reynolds learned of a clinical trial that aims to treat the actual disease. The Generation HD1 trial is the first in-human gene modifying Phase 3 clinical trial of a drug, known as RG6042, to treat Huntington's. Phase 1 has already been completed in the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada. "It is a groundbreaking trial," said Erin Furr-Stimming, M.D., director of the Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), one of more than a dozen sites in the United States participating in the international trial. "Phase 1 that was not done in the states was a positive trial. … They proved safety and were able to show that they effectively lowered the mutant Huntington's protein levels. This trial will hopefully answer what that means. … Does lowering the mutant Huntington's protein level actually translate into efficacy? Can we slow or halt disease progression? Can we improve symptoms?" The 25-month study separates participants into three different groups. One group receives 120mg of RG6042 every two months, another receives 120mg of the drug every four months and the other receives a placebo every two months. "The individuals who are par- ticipating in these clinical trials are our heroes," said Furr-Stimming, who sees patients at UT Physicians, the clinical practice of McGovern Medical School and Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. "Any time you participate in a clini- cal trial, there are risks. It's a science experiment so there is no guarantee that you're getting the study drug and that the study drug will work and be safe for you. The ones who are participating are so brave and really carrying the load for the rest of the Huntington's community." Although he has only been participating in the study for a few months, it has given Reynolds hope. "It was overwhelming knowing what Huntington's does to you," he said. "I didn't want my kids to see me go through it. But the trial has given me a lot of hope and I'm doing it for my kids." ➟ 19th I N C A R D I O V A S C U L A R A D V A N C E S t e x a s h e a r t . o r g / u p d a t e T E X A S U P D AT E DENTON A. COOLEY AUDITORIUM 6770 Bertner Avenue Houston, TX 77030 2 0 2 0 JAN 18 R E G I S T E R O N L I N E T E X A S H E A R T.O R G / U P D AT E James T. Willerson, MD Program Director Topics include: • Advances in TAVR • Catheter Based Repairs of the Mitral Valve • PCSK9 Inhibitors in Treating Elevated LDL • Stem Cell Treatment • Stimulating Cardiogenesis Directly in Preclinical Models WOMEN'S HEART & VASCULAR SYMPOSIUM TEXASHEART.ORG/WOMENCME th Annual DENTON A. COOLEY AUDITORIUM 6770 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77030 R E G I S T E R O N L I N E T E X A S H E A R T.O R G / W O M E N C M E 2 0 2 0 FEB 08 Stephanie Coulter, MD Program Director Topics include: � Diabetes Management � Risk Assessment in Pregnancy � Cholesterol and Hypertension Guidelines � Cryptogenic Stroke � Cardio-Oncology � Common Peripheral Vascular Disorders T H E A L I M A S S U M I T E X A S H E A R T . O R G / M A S S U M I CARDIAC ARRYTHMIA SYMPOSIUM THE HOUSTONIAN HOTEL 111 North Post Oak Lane, Houston, TX 77024 2 0 2 0 FEB 15 R E G I S T E R O N L I N E T E X A S H E A R T. O R G / M A S S U M I Mohammad Saeed, MD Program Director Topics include: • Atrial Fibrilation - A to Z • Arrhythmia in Special Populations • Ventricular Arrhythmia in Heart Failure • Genetics in Arrhythmia • Complications of ICD Therapy TEXASHEART.ORG/CME For more information and to see our other CME offerings go to These activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

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