Team Rallybio at HealthLumen
HealthLumen has recently conducted a genetic database analysis study in partnership with Rallybio, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, focused on understanding the proportions of women at higher risk for Foetal and Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) across a broad population of diverse ancestries. The results demonstrated that the proportion of women at higher risk for FNAIT was greatest in Caucasian populations, consistent with published literature.
However, for the first time, it has been revealed that many women who are not of Caucasian descent also carry the genetic variants associated with higher risk of FNAIT, HPA-1b and HLA-DRB3*01:01. The results demonstrate a comparable proportion of women at higher risk in Hispanic White populations, as well as a relatively moderate proportion of women at higher risk in Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic Black populations. Proportions of women at higher risk in South Asian, East Asian, and Amerindigenous populations were found to be low relative to the European Caucasian populations. The full results of this epidemiological analysis are set to be presented at a scientific meeting later in 2024.
The methods of this study involved using the gnomAD and the US National Marrow Donor Program databases to determine allele frequencies for HPA1-b and HLA-DRB3*01:01 by ancestry groups in the US.
Based on this analysis, Rallybio estimates that more than 30,000 pregnancies in North America and major European countries are at higher risk for FNAIT annually – representing a 40% increase compared to previous estimates.
Rallybio is developing RLYB212, a therapy designed to prevent maternal alloimmunization and FNAIT, which is expected to undertake a Phase 2 dose confirmation study in the second half of 2024.
The Rallybio press release for this study can be found here.
Learn more about FNAIT here.