Inside STAT: Huntington's clinical trial opens a door to hope — but only if patients get in

TAMMY STEWART AND HER BROTHER MIKE HAVE HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE, BUT ONLY SHE IS ENROLLED IN THE NEW ROCHE TRIAL. (MATTHEW ORR/STAT)

A landmark final-stage clinical trial is underway testing a drug that's designed to slow or even stop the progression of Huntington's disease. But with only about 800 spots and specific enrollment criteria, some people can't get in, even though such trials may be the best option for patients with diseases like Huntington's. Tammy Stewart, who lost her father and a sister to the neurodegenerative disease and is herself starting to show symptoms of it, is enrolled in the trial and feels like it has given her a new purpose. But other patients are too old, or too young, or have some other health issue that's preventing them from participating in the trial — Tammy’s brother, for instance, has late-stage Huntington’s and isn’t part of the trial. STAT’s Andrew Joseph has more here.