UC San Diego Health is first in the nation to offer a new injectable medication to patients with nerve damage caused by hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis, a rare disease that can be fatal without management. Previously, patients with this systemic disease were tethered to long, intravenous infusion therapy sessions every three weeks. Now, they receive one injection every three months to stop disease progression.
Nancy Kim was diagnosed with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis in 2018. "I long suspected I had the condition given my family history, but it was different to get an official diagnosis," said Kim, whose seven family members have had the condition. "My symptoms included numbness and tingling in my feet, heart palpitations and dizziness, and what felt like severe carpal tunnel syndrome in my right wrist, which would go up to my shoulder. This has all subsided since treatment."