For many years, Pitt Pediatrics professor Maria Escolar, MD, MS, of the Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, has been a pioneer in the diagnosis and treatment of Krabbe disease. Krabbe is a devastating disease that destroys the nervous system and is often fatal before age five.
In late 2020, a novel gene therapy treatment developed by Escolar at the University of Pittsburgh was licensed to Forge Biologics. This February, the company received a "fast track" designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pitt is now actively recruiting patients for a clinical trial, bringing this life-saving treatment one step closer to reality.
Escolar is Chief Medical Officer of Forge Biologics and holds equity in the company. Her research is conducted at Pitt in collaboration with principal investigator Randy M. Windreich, MD.
Pitt Pediatrics congratulates Escolar and Forge Biologics' recognition by the University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute as "Startup of the Year." Watch more on YouTube.