The 2023 International LGMD Conference

The 2023 International LGMD Conference will be held October 27-29, 2023, in Washington, DC.

This is the third LGMD Conference.  The first was held in Chicago in 2019, and the second was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.  This year, the conference is returning to an in-person format, with some sessions live-streamed for those unable to attend in person.

The keynote speaker for the conference will be Dr. Peter Marks, head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the FDA.  Dr. Marks will discuss the challenges in developing therapies for ultra-rare diseases, and some of the initiatives that FDA and its partners have undertaken to facilitate therapy development. Other confirmed speakers for the Conference include Dr. Carsten Bonnemann of the NIH, Dr. Volker Straub of the University of Newcastle, Dr. Louise Rodino-Klapac of Sarepta Therapeutics, Dr. John Vissing of the University of Copenhagen, Dr. Sharon Hesterlee of the MDA, Dr. Nicholas Johnson of Virginia Commonwealth University, and Dr. Linda Lowes of Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

The LGMD Conference is geared largely towards the patient and advocacy community, keeping them informed of the latest updates on diagnosis, clinical trial readiness, and development of treatments.  Sessions will cover natural history studies, diagnosis, preclinical development of new treatment modalities, and updates on clinical trials.  Taking advantage of this year’s location in Washington DC, there will be a special section on advocacy initiatives for LGMDs.

In addition, there will be a number of “breakout sessions” geared toward giving practical advice to the patient community.  These will include both tips from clinicians on different aspects of disease management, as well as peer-to-peer advice on living one’s best life with LGMD, and on connecting and working with others living with LGMD.

In addition to the involvement of patients and advocacy organizations, the LGMD Conference includes clinicians, researchers, and drug developers.  It presents a great opportunity to meet and connect with others in the LGMD community.

Registration opens April 5. Visit http://www.internationallgmdconference.com