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National Family Caregivers Month: Shining a Light on Jessica’s Story

This summer we shared the powerful story of LuPita, currently living with dementia. Today we are honored to introduce Jessica, LuPita’s daughter and care partner, in honor of November marking National Family Caregivers Month. Hear firsthand from Jessica on how she decided to take on the vital role, the importance of taking care of oneself […]

Meet our new CDO: Chad J. Swanson, Ph.D., Chief Development Officer answers questions about his career and the Prothena team

This month, we’re excited to hear from the newest member of our leadership team at Prothena! In September, Chad Swanson was appointed as Prothena’s new Chief Development Officer. A neuropharmacologist with over 20 years industry experience, Chad joined Prothena as Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Development in January 2023. In his new role, […]

World Amyloidosis Day: Shining a Light on Steve’s Story

Tomorrow marks World Amyloidosis Day, and we at Prothena are proud to join the Amyloidosis Alliance to help raise awareness of amyloidosis, a complex disease often misunderstood and misdiagnosed by medical professionals and unheard of by the general public. In the below video, Steve, living with AL amyloidosis, talks about the difficult and long journey […]

It’s not a sprint… Christie Nie M.D. MSc. Vice President, Global Clinical Development answers questions about her career and Prothena’s clinical development team

From running marathons to developing potential breakthrough treatments, for Christie it’s all about perseverance At Prothena, our mission is to bring life-changing therapies to patients battling neurodegenerative and rare peripheral amyloid diseases. Our clinical development efforts play a vital role in moving these therapies from early research to potential treatments that could improve the lives […]

World Alzheimer’s Day: Shining a Light on Phil’s Story

Saturday, on World Alzheimer’s Day, we at Prothena joined Alzheimer’s Disease International to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and challenge the stigma of this disease and other dementias. We recently shared the story of LuPita, currently living with dementia. Today, we are honored to help Phil tell his story. In another powerful tale, Phil underscores […]

Alzheimer’s Disease International CEO Paola Barbarino answers questions about the organization’s work in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating form of dementia that causes memory, thinking and behavior problems. It is believed two different proteins – Aβ (amyloid beta) and tau – are the primary contributors to its pathology. Misfolded Aβ builds up to form plaques between nerve cells in the brain. Tangles of twisted tau fibrils spread from […]

On putting the puzzle pieces together: the long journey to an AL amyloidosis diagnosis

Earlier this year, we heard advice for people living with AL amyloidosis from an AL amyloidosis patient herself, Linda. Today, we continue to elevate firsthand perspectives of people directly impacted by this rare disease. Hear from Donna, a wife and mother, and caregiver to her husband Mike who is living with AL amyloidosis. She describes […]

Carol Karp, Chief Regulatory Officer, answers questions about her career and Prothena’s regulatory team

Prothena is committed to developing novel and transformative medicines to create a better future for patients with neurodegenerative and rare peripheral amyloid diseases, which affect millions of people and their families worldwide. Before any treatment is made available to patients in the U.S., it must go through a rigorous set of clinical and nonclinical testing […]

The Longest Day: Shining a Light on LuPita’s Story

  Today marks The Longest Day. It’s the summer solstice and the day with the most sunlight all year long. Also today, we stand with the Alzheimer’s community to fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s disease and all other dementias. There has been remarkable progress in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in the past few years, […]

A novel mechanism of action to address unmet needs in AL amyloidosis

AL amyloidosis, a rare, progressive and often fatal disease, occurs when a type of immune cell, called plasma cells, produce high levels of an abnormal protein called light chain that misfolds and clumps together to form aggregated amyloid which the body cannot break down. Clumped together, the amyloid can travel through blood vessels, damaging cells […]

Yvonne Tchrakian, Corporate Secretary and Legal Counsel at Prothena, shares her perspective on supporting women, including mothers, in the workplace

Earlier this year we heard from Donna-Lee Destouche who shared advice on encouraging the next generation of female leaders in STEM. In her interview, she notes, “if we have some support to be ambitious in our career, and perhaps not lose a step because you’ve decided you wanted to start a family, we may have […]

Understanding Proteins — their role in life, and in some of the most challenging diseases we face today

Proteins are essential for life. Every cell in our body makes protein every day. And for those proteins to work correctly, they need to fold in a certain three-dimensional shape and space. Systems in our cells recognize misshapen proteins and try to fix them. If they can’t help fold them into the correct shape, the […]

On advice: Linda shares wisdom for other AL amyloidosis patients

March is Amyloidosis Awareness Month, and at Prothena we believe it’s important to shine light on firsthand perspectives from people directly impacted by the disease. In this video, Linda offers advice to those affected by AL amyloidosis. Whether advice for others impacted by the disease, the journey to diagnosis, or working together with a care […]

Amyloidosis Foundation President Mary O’Donnell answers questions about the organization’s work in amyloidosis

AL amyloidosis is a rare, progressive and life-threatening disease that leads to the production and aggregation of misfolded toxic light chain proteins. These aggregates cause problems in the body’s circulation, depositing in the heart and kidney, leading to damage and organ failure. Patients often present with a wide range of general symptoms that are common […]

Donna-Lee Destouche, Head of Clinical Trial Management at Prothena, shares her perspective on supporting women and girls in science and the importance of Rare Disease Day

February 29, 2024 marks Rare Disease Day, and we’re honored to hear from Donna-Lee about the importance of this day and her personal connection to rare disease. Check out the video below and hear from more Prothenians on why they care about rare here.     Earlier this month, we celebrated International Day of Women […]

Hear from Prothena CEO Gene Kinney on the progress made across the Alzheimer’s disease industry and his outlook for 2024

From selecting appropriate patients for clinical studies, to identifying the right endpoints and biomarkers, 2023 was marked with the very first disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Looking ahead in 2024, the field is poised to do an even better job of slowing the relentless disease progression of Alzheimer’s disease.   As we gear up for […]

Prothena Participates in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s

Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Last month, Prothenians showed their support by participating in walks across the globe – including Dublin, San Francisco, San Diego, Philadelphia and Boston. As […]

Reflecting on CTAD 2023, and the inspiring progress of Alzheimer’s disease R&D this year

Over 25 Prothenians attended the 16th annual Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) meeting in October in Boston, Massachusetts. As always, it was inspiring to join experts in the space to discuss the latest advances in Alzheimer’s disease R&D as we work toward a shared goal of delivering better treatments to patients. Throughout the year […]

Ingrid Sprinz, PhD, Senior Medical Director, Hematology, answers questions about Prothena’s work in AL amyloidosis

Today, World Amyloidosis Day, we recognize people living with AL amyloidosis and their caregivers for their unwavering strength. We recently sat down with Ingrid Sprinz, PhD, Senior Medical Director, Hematology, to speak about current needs in the treatment of AL amyloidosis and Prothena’s progress in the space. Check out her perspective below.   Q: What […]

How Linda’s Persistence Played a Role in her AL Amyloidosis Diagnosis

“I want my kidneys biopsied.” In this powerful video, we hear about the journey to diagnosis from Linda, a daughter, mother and wife living with AL amyloidosis. After fifteen symptoms materialized over the course of just two years, Linda knew something wasn’t right. From severe back pain, sudden high blood pressure and uncontrollable vomiting, to […]